Textile design student wins prestigious enterprise award

Jessica Kirkpatrick at work in her studio.

A lifelong passion for plants and endangered species has inspired a talented textiles design student at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) to win a prestigious enterprise award.

Jessica Kirkpatrick, 22, won the sought-after Creative Lancashire Award for Enterprise at UCLan’s recent 2020 Degree Shows award ceremony which for the first time took place live on-line.

In her final collection, ‘Living Specimen’, Jess combined her talent for drawing with experimental processes such as screen printing and mark making to create eye–catching prints.

Jess, a recent graduate of the BA (Hons) Textiles Design programme, said: “My lifelong passion for the environment and the living world inspired me to create a body of work which focused on endangered species and the habitats in which they live.

“I wanted to create designs that can educate people on species they may never have heard about before.

“Hopefully my work will capture people’s attention and help to start conversations, whether it’s asking about the unusual creature climbing through the branches or, how the print would look as a whole in their home.

“I try to capture flora and fauna as realistically as I can. In fact, I’ve been making my own scientific discoveries along the way.”

Ever year students from across the University’s creative disciplines are entered for the award with the winner having to demonstrate excellence and a high level of professionalism or industry readiness.

This year the judging panel included Chair of Creative Lancashire Jenny Rutter, a producer with two decades’ experience supporting and developing creative practice in the North West. Jenny is also a director of British Textiles Biennial

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Commenting on Jess’s achievement, Jenny said: “We are delighted to recognise Jess this year.

“She has not only created a cohesive, creative and commercial portfolio of work but also made a powerful statement about environmental issues and endangered species. We are convinced she has all the qualities needed to forge a successful career in the years to come.”

As part of her award, Creative Lancashire has now facilitated a meeting for Jess with the creative team as Standfast & Barracks, a world leader in fabric printing, to provide feedback on the imaginative student’s portfolio and advice on the next steps in her career.

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