The Crysalis Project

Textile Revolution

The Crysalis Project provides opportunities to combine knowledge and tradition with technology; collaboration with innovation and big names with textile start-ups. Most importantly, it unleashes the European textile community’s creative genius; and you can play your part in it.

What’s in it for you?

Part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund. The Crysalis Project is a collaboration: The University for the Creative Arts in Rochester, leading the way in digital textile development as well as engaging young entrepreneurs; Plymouth College of Art has a large experience in education and crafts; the city of Calais represented by The International City of Lace and Fashion and TIO3 Textiles Open Innovation Centre representing the city of Ronse, Belgium, both of whom have a rich heritage of textile tradition and a strong focus on public engagement and entrepreneurialism.

The Crysalis Project has something for you, whether you’re an academic, student, practitioner, manufacturer, professional, entrepreneur or all of these. It’s a programme of many themes and activities, woven together to create a range of creative places and spaces for you to connect, collaborate, learn and do business.

Crysalis offers you an opportunity to engage with new technologies, explore traditional craft techniques, to work and exhibit internationally, to connect with textile business in the UK, France and Belgium, and to develop your practice to new levels or in new directions.

Excited? We are. The range of Crysalis initiatives is inspiring;

Crysalis Cross-border Professionals Programme: The first residential programme delivered in Rochester will encourage business development, provide opportunities to learn about new print technologies and include inspiration from successful working fashion and textile professionals.

Crysalis Metamorphosis: Artists and designers working together on cross-border collaborative textile design and art works, to be shown in the Crysalis Exhibitions.

Crysalis Conference: Bringing together textile business, science and education, heritage organisations and creative people, to establish new knowledge networks and collaboration opportunities.

Crysalis Exhibition: Crysalis exhibitions hosted in the UK, Belgium and France exhibiting art and design works from Crysalis contributors.

Crysalis Digital Library: An online resource of textile collections:  thousands of images ranging from heritage collections, traditional and smart textiles and innovative digital print.

Crysalis Skills Tour: Opportunities for designers and other professionals to work at partner locations using specialist resources and equipment.

Crysalis Open Access Contacts Bank: A contacts database offering new practitioners, small businesses and graduates the opportunity to link with other businesses, practitioners and experts across the partner areas for work collaboration and Continued Professional Development.

Crysalis Business Inventory: a cross-border inventory of businesses who are eager to collaborate with students, recent graduates, designers, and researchers.

Join us. Be part of something big…… create, innovate and participate.

Get involved now.  Contact our Crysalis Project Coordinator:

Serena Williams, email swilliams22@ucreative.ac.uk