Approved: 03.08.2018

Claire Barber

Artist, Lecturer / academic, Researcher, Writer

Approved: 03.08.2018

Claire Barber has pursued a peripatetic career since her graduation from the Fine Art department of the Royal College of Art in 1994 exhibiting widely and completing over twenty artist-in-residencies and commissioning models in the UK and across Eastern Europe, Australia and Japan. Claire is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Music and Design Arts at the University of Huddersfield with an interest in the interconnection between place and the way people are connected to their surrounding environment.

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Artist Statement

Claire Barber has pursued a peripatetic career since her graduation from the Fine Art department of the Royal College of Art in 1994 exhibiting widely and completing over twenty artist-in-residencies and commissioning models in the UK and across Eastern Europe, Australia and Japan. Claire is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Music and Design Arts at the University of Huddersfield with an interest in the interconnection between place and the way people are connected to their surrounding environment.

The investigation of cultural traditions and vocabularies for textiles is a fundamental component of the creative practice using site-responsive methods of research. Incorporating a broad approach to creating in diverse forms including installation, photography, social engagement, collage and inflatable sculpture the artwork is not limited to a production using textile materials. Rather, it is her perception of textiles, and weave in particular, that directs how ideas are put together as an integral approach to an enquiry combining elements of industrial and historical studies and clothing design. A large-scale commission for Hull City of Culture presented at Hull Paragon Station called The Train Track and the Basket (2017) commemorates the historical route of transmigration from Eastern Europe to America, and the woven baskets carried by migrants passing through Hull. Woven textiles enabled her to think about patterns of motion overlaid with one another each time someone enters or exits the station building.

Alongside her solo practice, Claire often seeks out ways of creating new work with others, exemplified by current co-produced research with sound artist Gavin Osborn. Claire’s first experience of Osborn’s work was at the exhibition they both participated in called Unravelled Wetlands presented at the London Wetland Centre in 2021 and since then they have been testing the versatility of sound and embroidery to inspire an intricate interplay between graphic form and tactile language of embroidery with the acoustic structures of sound-based work. This included a collaborative exhibition A Stitch for Every Sound & talk at the Festival of Quilts (FoQ), NEC Birmingham in August 2022. 

Claire shares her practice with broad audiences, engaging with local communities to contest inequalities in cultural access. This exposure to community contexts has led to a number of journal articles, papers, books and conference organisation. For example, the book co-edited with Penny Macbeth Outside: Activating Cloth to Enhance the Way We Live (CSP 2014), explored the complex and multifaceted relationship humans have with cloth, and examined the constantly evolving fields of expression outside traditional gallery, institutional or campus settings. This is the context for the Arts Council funded socially engaged artwork Blue Plaques of Intangible Experiences developed in 2019 with June Hill which involves processes of interaction designed to facilitate the empathetic imagination through stitched-based practice and communal making at a community centre and pay-as-you-can café in Bradford. A further commissioned essay, ‘Stitch as a compassionate action: The War Widows’ Quilt’ presented in the Insights book published by The Textile Study Group in 2020 presents an investigation into the art duo Arthur & Martha, discussing the terms used to describe their community-responsive work.

In the summer of 2022, Claire was the appointed artist in residence with Patricia Mackinnon Day to develop initial proposals for interventions as part of the future developments planned for Barlby Road. Events and happenings as part of their public engagement activities included a dance experiment with choreographer Gemma Fisher on the industrial Forfarmers site Gemma Fisher - Dust (2 June 2022), a critical reflection by international choreographer Dawn Shultz, and a participatory dance re-enactment on Selby Park called The Last Dance (16 July 2022). The event was centred around the Selby Park bandstand and involved music and dancing, an outdoor bar run by the Jolly Sailor brewery and an invitation to contribute oral histories and reminiscences. Posters, bunting, cups and even beer tap labels were all specially designed to transform a corner of the Park into The Last Dance. They are currently working with development teams to realise their proposals for the new construction and development projects planned for Barlby Road.

In 2016 Claire received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Publication in recognition of a programme of work entitled Cloth in Action: The Transformative Power of Cloth in Communities as evidence of the significance of textiles as an aesthetic experience within a socially engaged form of practice, some of which involves other people.

CV & Education

Education                           

2016                       Doctor of Philosophy by Publication (PhD), for a programme of work ‘Cloth in Action: The Transformative Power of Cloth in Communities’, University of Huddersfield

2002                       Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP), University of Southampton

2000-01                 Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Art and Design (secondary), University of Brighton

1992-94                 MA Tapestry, Royal College of Art, London

1989-92                 BA (hons) Textiles (First class), West Surrey College of Art & Design, Farnham

Teaching

2013-present       Senior Lecturer, Fashion and Textiles, University of Huddersfield

2009-2013            Lecturer, Fashion and Textiles, University of Huddersfield

2001-09                 Lecturer BA (hons) Textiles, Fashion and Fibre and MA Textiles, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton

2004-06                 Visiting Lecturer, MA Textile, Fashion & Surface Design, University of Central England

2004                       Visiting Lecturer, BA (hons) Fine Art (Textiles), University College, Chichester

2001                       Visiting Lecturer, Art and Design Foundation Diploma, Sussex Downs College

Commissions

2021                       A stitch for every sound, a series of five embroideries located in and around the London Wetland Centre exploring the sensory qualities of stitch and presented as part of Wetlands Unravelled, a project of site-specific installations led by Polly Harknett and Caitlin Heffernan http://unravelled.org.uk/projects/wetlands/.

2017                       The Train Track and the Basket, a series of 14 large scale vinyl’s applied to the semi-circular window spaces above the exit doors in the main entrance/exit vestibule of Hull Paragon Station exploring the 19th and 20th century ‘Transmigration’ phenomenon in Hull and presented as part of the project ‘Look-Up’, a major programme of temporary art commissions for Hull UK City of Culture 2017.

2012                       One to Twenty, a 13-foot inflatable sculpture inspired by Yeovil’s gloving industry and presented as part of ‘Maximum Exposure’ curatorial project exposing unknown aspects of Somerset. Commissioned and curated by Somerset Art Works. Supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England (collaboration with Steve Swindells).

2011                       Mining Couture: A Manifesto for Common Wear, a collaborative project with Leicestershire’s County Council’s Snibston Discovery Museum and commissioned as part of the ‘Transform’ arts project developed by Maurice Maguire supported by Arts Council England and Leicestershire County Council. The commission resulted in site-conditional garments, large inflatable sculpture and an artist’s book (Black Dog, 2012) exploring the relationship between coal mining and fashion (collaboration with Steve Swindells).

2009                       Littlemoor Wishes, a temporary installation created with the residents of Littlemoor during the building of the Weymouth Relief Road in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.  Littlemoor Wishes saw 2,400 households in the area receive a bag with tie clips, a pen and three laser-cut neoprene tags to write on their own wishes, desires, protests or hopes, with instructions to tie them onto the metal fencing surrounding the roadworks. Supported by Arts Council England and Public Art South West.

2008-9                   You Are the Journey: North Staffordshire, a series of two batches of 367,000 tickets released on the ‘First Group’ fleet of buses leaving Hanley and Adderley Green depot in Stoke-on-Trent printed using thermos chromic inks upon which the warmth of human touch revealed layers of text from the tickets surface. A public art commission presented as part of ‘Place Space & Identity 2’ project by B Arts and funded by Arts Council West Midlands, Renew N.Staffordshire & Stoke County Council.

2005-6                   You Are the Journey, a redesign of the Hythe Ferry Ten-Journey Ticket as a focus for reflection, combining the functionality of the ticket with an interactive public artwork supported by Arts Council England and SEEDA Award Scheme for Art in Public Places (collaboration with R.A.Webb).

2004                       Stepping Lightly on 88 Pillows, a participatory installation located by a regularly-used pathway through Westonbirt Arboretum, inspired by the vulnerability of tree specimens and the robust protection they are provided in the Arboretum. Presented as part of Westonbirt Arboretum International Festival of the Gardens Art Programme, Gloucestershire with curatorial and arts advice by Sam Wilkinson and Sarah von Holstein.

2002                       Hammocks, a collaborative project with The Samling Foundation as part of the ‘Land and the Samling’ arts project resulting in site conditional hammocks created during a residency at Kielder Forest in Northumberland and residential site-specific workshops at Kielder involving 60 ‘A’ level students from across Tyne and Wear.

1998                       Untitled installation using feathers, acrylic and mirror in response to The Ark building in Hammersmith, West London and created as part of Seagram’s ‘Art in the Ark’ contemporary art collection presented by Contemporary Art Society Projects & commissioned by Seagram plc

1996                       Four window screens created from dyed drakes’ feathers, pierced into silk mousseline organza and crepe georgette for the dining room of Belsay Hall, Northumberland as part of ‘Living at Belsay: A Contemporary Approach to Furnishing an Historic House’ project developed in partnership with English Heritage, Northern Arts and Northumberland County Council and supported by the Crafts Council.

1995                       Untitled, an installation created from industrial knitted fibres for ‘FAST’ at the Exhibition Hall, Verona, Italy and presented by Susan Minter Design Consultancy & commissioned by Continental Fibre S.p.A

1994                       Untitled, temporary installation located at Habitat Kings Road flagship store in Central London.

Residencies, Fellowship & Community Activities

2022                       Research residency in collaboration with Patricia Mackinnon Day, leading to creation of designs for the future developments planned around Barlby Road area, Selby and commissioned by Selby District Council (SDC).

2019                       Artist-in-Residence with Bolton Museum Archives as part of the ArtivistGM programme to create opportunities for archivists and artists to work collaboratively to bring collections to life and supported by Greater Manchester Combined Authority, GM Libraries & Archives, and Manchester Histories https://peterloo1819.co.uk/projects/artivists/.

2019                       Blue Plaques of Intangible Experiences, a socially engaged artwork involving 2 x community centres in Inner City Bradford and supported by an Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant (collaboration with June Hill and Leigh Bowser) https://blueplaquesofintangibleexperiences.com/

2006                       Artist-in-Residence for the Conwy Estuary Strategic Route development project, supported Conwy Council Borough Council.

2004                       Artist-in-Residence at Oriel Davies Gallery, Newtown, Wales.

2003                       Through the Surface Textile Artist exchange to Kyoto, Japan & mentee to Teruyoshi Yoshida and directed by Lesley Millar.

2001                       Artist-in-Residence at Bardsey Island in association with Bardsey Island Trust and Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno, Wales.

1999                       Artist-in-Residence at Northern Territories University, Darwin, Australia.

1999                       Workshops, Karulundi Aboriginal Educational Centre, Meekatharra, Australia.

1999                       Artist-in-Residence at Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, Western Australia.

1999                       Artist-in-Residence at The Tasmanian School of Art at Launceston, University of Tasmania, Australia.

1998                       Visual Arts Fellowship awarded jointly by the Sir Robert Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, London and Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.

1998-9                   Artist-in-Residence at Marlborough College, Wiltshire.

1996-7                   Pépinières Européenes Pours Jeunes Artistes residency in sculpture at Academy of Fine Arts & Design, Bratislava, Slovakia.

1997                       Artist-in-Residence at Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, Kent.

1996                       Member of the Artists’ convoy to Bosnia to join Tuzla’s first annual festival of multi ethnic arts.

1996                       Artist-in-Residence at Acoomb First School, Northumberland.

1996                       Norbury Park Sculpture Weekend coordinated by Roman Vasseur and commissioned by Surrey County Council.

1995                       Artist-in-Residence at Cwrt Sart Comprehensive School, West Glamorgan, Wales.

Group and Solo Exhibitions

2022                       A Stitch for Every Sound: NEC, Festival of the Quilts, NEC, Birmingham, in collaboration with Gavin Osborn.

2022                       Textiles: Made in Huddersfield, Poundland (Piazza unit 28), Huddersfield, curated by Jade Lord and presented as part of Cultures of Place organised by University of Huddersfield.

2022                       Conversations: People, Places, Materials, Objects, St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery, Lymington, Hampshire. Organised by the 62 Group of Textile Artists https://www.62group.org.uk/exhibitions/conversations/

2019                       VIII Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art, Photography Textile Image Salon, Museo Del Traje, Madrid, Spain. Organised by the World Textile Art (WTA) association https://madrid2019.wta-online.org/

2019                       Peterloo: Bolton Textile Works and the Fight for Democracy, Up Close Gallery, Bolton Museum, Bolton, curated by Matthew Watson

2019                       Humanitarian Handicrafts, foyer of Holocaust Education and Learning Centre, University of Huddersfield, curated by June Hill and Claire Barber

2018                       Contextile 2018, Contemporary Textile Art Biennale, Palácio Vila Flor CCVF, Guimarães, Portugal

2016                       Migrations, Huddersfield Art Gallery, West Yorkshire, curated by Jessica Hemmings

2016                       Contextile 2016, Contemporary Textile Art Biennale, Palácio Vila Flor CCVF, Guimarães, Portugal

2016                       Da Vinci Engineered: From Renaissance Mechanics to Contemporary Art, Zebedee’s Yard, Whitefriargate, Hull, curated by Lara Goodband

2015                       Repetition Variation, Frameless Gallery, 20 Clerkenwell Green, London, curated by Joanna Byrant and Julian Page

2015                       Pinpoint 2, One Church Street Gallery, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, curated by Joanna Bryant and Lyndsey Keeling

2013                       Pinpoint 1, One Church Street Gallery, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, curated by Polly Binns and Linda Brassington

2012                       Hidden Voices: The Sleeping Bag Project, The Knitting and Stitching Show, Harrogate International Centre, curated by Claire Barber, June Hill and Charlotte Cullen

2012                       Mining Couture, Huddersfield Art Gallery, West Yorkshire and Snibston Discovery Museum, Leicestershire – Barber Swindells

2012                       One to Twenty, The Glove Factory, Yeovil, Somerset – Barber Swindells

2011-12                 Bite-Size, Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, London tour to Gallery Gallery, Kyoto; Nagova University of the Arts, Tokyo, curated by Lesley Millar

2011                       VI International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art, The Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum, Mexico City – Barber Swindells. Organised by the World Textile Art (WTA) association

2008                       Art Vaults: Season 4, King John’s Palace, Southampton, Hampshire, curated by Daniel Crow

2006                       Quiet Sound, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art, Northamptonshire, curated by Kate Stoddart 

2005                       Artsway Open 05, Artsway, Sway, Hampshire curated by Mark Segal

2004-5                   Through the Surface, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, tour to Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts; Piece Hall Art Gallery, Halifax; Nottingham Castle; The James Hockey Gallery, Farnham, curated by Lesley Mill

2004-5                   River/Forest, Oriel Davies Gallery, Newtown Wales tour to Crichton House, Cardiff (two man show)

2004                       Sharing Rose Bud Tea Across Continents, Fabrica, Brighton tour to Square Chapel Centre for the Arts, Halifax & the Yard Gallery, Wollaton Hall, Nottingham, curated by Lesley Millar

2003                       Art in Heaven, The Meeting House Chapel, University of Sussex, Brighton, curated by Unmarked

2003                       Feather, Black Swan Arts, Frome, Somerset

2002                       Land, Artsway, Sway, Hampshire curated by Mark Segal

2001                       Roam, Coed Hills Rural Art Space, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, curated by Rawley Clay and Sarah Hilary-Jones

2000                       Ideal Format # 10, 24Hr Art, Darwin, Australia

1999                       Meelfabriek, Clinch’s Mill, Greenough Hamlet, Western Australia

1999                       Tears to Wake the Flowers II, Watch This Space Gallery, Alice Springs, Australia (solo show)

1999                       Tears to Wake the Flowers I, Northern Territories University Gallery, Darwin, Australia (solo show)

1999                       The Red Gown, Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, Western Australia (solo show)

1999                       Residency, The University Gallery, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania (solo show)

1998                       Red Brick, Mount House Art Gallery, Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire (solo show)

1998                       Tempered, Fabrica, Brighton, curated by Liz Whitehead

1997                       Contemporary Craft, Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria

1997                       The Last of the Dandelion Seeds, Gallery Cyprián Mayernik, Bratislava, Slovakia (solo show)

1996-98                 Objects of Our Time, Crafts Council Touring Exhibition, Crafts Council Gallery, London tour to Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast; Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh; Lynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea; Manchester City Art Gallery; American Craft Museum, New York, curated by Martina Margetts

1996                       Living at Belsay: A Contemporary Approach to Furnishing an Historic House, Belsay Hall, Northumberland, curated by Judith King

1994                       New Discoveries, Boundary Gallery, London

1992                       Seventh Annual International Textile Contest, The Fashion Foundation, Minato-Ku, Tokyo

Awards

2019                       3rd Place Award Winner, Photography Textile Image Salon, VIII Biennial of World Textile Art, Madrid, Spain

2006                       Final Award Winner Art Plus 2006, Arts Council England and SEEDA Award Scheme for Art in Public Places – Barber & Webb

2005                       Development Award Art Plus, Arts Council England and SEEDA Award Scheme for Art in Public Places – Barber & Webb

2003                       Sponsored Studio Award, Art Space, Portsmouth

1996                       East Midlands Arts Project Award

1992                       British Finalist in Constructed Textiles, Seventh International Textile Design Contest, the Fashion Foundation, Minato-Ku, Tokyo

Work in permanent collection

2019                       Spinning Wheels, Hedges and Muffins in Repeat [digitally printed textiles], Bolton Museum Permanent Collection, West Yorkshire

Conference contribution

2022                       Barber, C., Gill, R., & Weitz, W. (2022). Visual strategies for ongoing care. Appealing to American donors to support Belgian lacemakers after the First World War presented at Historie(s) of Care: Gender, experiences and humanitarian knowledge(s) by Brocher Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland, Friday 16th September 2022.

2022                       A stitch for every sound presented at 3rd International Conference on Arts and Cultures in collaboration with IUT Dijon, the Université de Bourgogne, and research group CECILLE, 17- 18 February 2022, webinar (Live Presentation). https://gkacademics.com/conferences/gka-arts-2022/

2021                       Barber, C., Gill, R., & Taithe, B. (2021). Humanitarian Handicrafts: Testing the relationship between archival history and hands-on craftmaking. Proceedings of BICCS 2021 – Biennial International Conference for the Crafts Sciences for the Craft laboratory, affiliated at the Department of Conservation, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, 4-6 May 2021, online. https://biccs.dh.gu.se/2021

2021                       Textiles and Railways: re-imagining patterns of textile production and circulation on the railway presented at Woven in Practice Conference hosted by University of Huddersfield, Friday 23 April and Saturday 24 April 2021, online. https://research.hud.ac.uk/art-design/events/woveninpractice/

2020                       Rethinking a small square of cloth: A visual reinterpretation of the Peterloo Massacre Handkerchief of 1819 presented at the 6th International Conference on Visual Culture in collaboration with Université Paris Diderot, France and hosted by GKA VISUAL 2020. Virtual Conference, Wednesday 15 April – Thursday 30 2020. https://gkacademics.com/conferences/gka-visual/2020-conference/virtual/

2020                       Barber, C., Smyth, M., & Zitkus, E. (2020). Accessibility of tactile experience for the textile designer a co-authored paper presented at “10th Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access and Assistive Technology (CWUAAT)” hosted by Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge, Monday 23 – Wednesday 25 March 2020. 

2018                       Mining Couture: A Manifesto for Common Wear presented at “Representing popular street parade in the museum” symposium held at King’s Manor, University of York Tuesday 10 – Wed 11 July 2018.

2018                       Mining Textiles presented at the 4th International Congress on Visual Culture held in Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Rome, Italy, Monday 28 May – Tuesday 29 May 2018.

2018                       The Train Track and the Basket: The aesthetic dimension of textiles within a site-specific practice presented at “Textiles and Place” conference hosted by Manchester School of Art and the Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Thursday 12 April 2018.

2017                       The Train Track and the Basket presented at “Making Futures: Crafting a sustainable modernity towards a maker aesthetics of production and consumption” conference hosted by Plymouth College of Art, held at Mount Edgcumbe, Plymouth Thursday 21 – Friday 22 September 2017.

2017                       The Transmigration Project attended as keynote speaker in the 3rd International Congress on Visual Culture hosted by Universitat Abat Oliba, Barcelona, Spain Monday 22 – Tuesday 23 May 2017.

2016                       Ventilation Dress II at “The Art of Engineering”, The Engineering Professors’ Council, University of Hull Sun 4 – Tuesday 6 September 2016.

2015                       Vanishing Textile Industries presented at “The Guild” symposium hosted by University of Leeds.   

2015                       Crafting the Community III presented at “Reaching the Summit Community Engaged Learning in Higher Education”, International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Conference hosted by Utah Valley University, USA Tuesday 20 – Thursday 22 January 2015.

2014                       Barber, C., & Macbeth, P. (2014). Craft in Unexpected Places presented at “Transition: Rethinking Textiles and Surfaces” hosted by University of Huddersfield, 26-27 September 2014.

2014                       Textiles and communities: A crafted intervention presented at the 32nd meeting of The Textile Society held in Wellcome Trust, London, Friday 7 – Sunday 9 November 2014.

2014                       Barber, C., & Taylor, M. (2014). Outside Intervention and the External Studio presented at “The Studio: Where do we learn? Where do we teach?” presented by GLAD (Group for Learning and Teaching in Art & Design) hosted by Sheffield Institute of Arts, Sheffield Hallam University, 27 February 2014.

2014                       One to Twenty presented at Make, create and cultivate symposium held at Somerset College, Taunton and present by Somerset Art Works (SAW) 13-14 July 2014.

2013                       Barber, C., & Bailey, R. (2013). The Sleeping Bag Project presented at “The Subversive Stitch Revisited: The Politics of Cloth” held in V & A, London, 29-30 November 2013.

2013                       Barber, C., Bailey, R., & Perren, N. (2013). Archival Interventions presented at “Storyville: Exploring narratives of Learning and Teaching”, the 2nd annual HEA Arts and Humanities conference hosted by University Brighton, 29-30 May 2013.

2011                       Barber, C., & Swindells, S. (2011). Beyond Charity: The Sleeping Bag Project presented at “Considerations Between Textiles and Society: A Recapitulation” within the framework of the VI ‘World Textile Art’ International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art held in Museum of Anthropology and hosted by Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico, 26 May 2011.

2011                       Barber, C., & Swindells, S. (2011). More than Charity: Textiles in Daily Life presented at “Making Futures: the crafts in the context of emerging global sensibility agendas” hosted by Plymouth College of Art, Friday 16 September 2011.

Published Journal Articles

2021                       Gill, R., Barber, C., & Taithe, B. (2021). Humanitarian Handicrafts: Testing the relationship between archival history and hands-on craft making. FormAkademisk - forskningstidsskrift for design og designdidaktikk, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.7577/formakademisk.4181.  

2020                       E. Zitkus., Barber, C., & M. Smyth. (2021). Accessibility of Tactile Experience for the Textile Designer. In P. Langdon, A Heylighen, J. Lazar & Hua Dong (Eds.). Designing for Inclusion. Inclusive Design: Looking Towards the Future, pp.68-79, doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-43865-4., published by Springer   ISBN 978-3-030-43864-7 ISBN 978-3-030-43865-4 (eBook).

2019                       The Train Track and the Basket: Interpreting transmigration within a site-responsive practice. In The Critical Fish: Beneath the surface of art and visual culture, 1 (1), pp. 44-49. Retrieved from https://issuu.com/thecriticalfish/docs/fish_-_v3_issuu

2019                       Mining textiles: Extracting multi-narrative responses from textiles to rethink a mining past. In The International Visual Culture Review, 1 (2), pp.33-42, doi: 10.37467/gka-visualrev.v1.1770 published by Global Knowledge Academics.

2016                       Crafting the community. In Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 8 (1), pp. 59-71, doi: 10.1108/JARHE-09-2014-0073., published by Emerald Publishing ISSN 2050-7003.

2015                       Barber, C., & Macbeth, P. (2015). Craft in unexpected places. In Craft Research 6(2), 275-285, doi: 10.1386/crre.6.2.275_1., published by Intellect Journal. ISSN 2040-4689.

2015                       Barber, C., & Bailey, R. (2015). The sleeping bag landscape. In Craft and Design Enquiry (7) 49-69, doi: 10.22459/CDE.07.2015., published by Australia National University. ISSN 2200-6931 (print) ISSN 1837-445X (online).

2014                       Weaving technologies in the construction of a ferry ticket. In Radar, 4(1), 36-37, published by University of Huddersfield Press. ISSN: 2049-4327.

2011                       Barber, C. & Swindells, S. (2011). More than charity: Textiles in daily life. In Making Futures: The crafts as change-maker in sustainably aware cultures, vol 2 published by Plymouth College of Art. Retrieved from http://mfarchive.plymouthart.ac.uk/journalvol2/index.php . ISSN 2042-1664.

2010                       Resident social journey. In Radar, 1(1), 8-9, published by University of Huddersfield Press.ISBN 978-1-86218-084-0.

2009                       You Are the Journey: Public Art in Your Pocket. In J. Gillette & B. Harland (Eds.). Winchester School of Art Research Anthology, pp.36-37. Published by Winchester Gallery Press. ISBN 9781873451618

Published Books

2014                       Barber, C., & Macbeth, P. (Eds.). (2014). Outside: Activating Cloth to Enhance the Way We Live, published by Cambridge Scholars, 131 pages, ISBN 978-1-4438-5695-9.

2012                       Barber, C., & Swindells, S. (Eds.). (2012). Mining Couture: A Manifesto for Common Wear, published by Black Dog Publishing, London, Sept 2012, 160 pages, ISBN 978 1 907317 92 7.

2010                       Littlemoor Wishes, published by University of Huddersfield Press, UK, ISBN 978-1-86218-082-6.

2007                       Residency: Quilting the Estuary, published by Public Art Wales and Conwy County Borough Council, ISBN 978-0-9508201-3-2.

2005                       Barber, C., & Morag, C. (2005). Severn River Project, published by Oriel Davies Gallery, Wales.

1999                       The Red Gown, supported jointly by Sir Robert Menzies Centre of Australian Studies and Edith Cowan University, Australia.

1997                       A Mountain of Fortunes Made from the Pages of My Diary, supported by The British Council, printed Bratislava, Slovakia.

Peer Review/Validation

2020-2024            External examiner BA (hons) Textiles, The Open College of the Arts (OCA), University of the Creative Arts.

2020                       External panel member for Open College of the Arts (OCA) courses (Textiles) validation/periodic review at University of the Creative Arts (UCA) Farnham, Friday 12 March 2020.

2020                       Reviewer for Textile and Place conference hosted by Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, Thursday 23rd – Friday 24th April 2020 https://www.textileandplace.co.uk/.

2018                       Reviewer for The International Visual Culture Review published by Global Knowledge Academics.

2017-2021            Reviewer for The Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education published by Emerald.

PhD examination

2022                       PhD External Examiner “Crying Rya: a practitioner’s narrative through hand weaving” Examinee Emelie Ro¨ndahl, examination held at University of Gothenburg, 28 September 2022.

2021                       PhD External Examiner “Shetland Tweed: identification of its design aesthetic through the characteristics of traditional knowledge” Examinee Sarah Dearlove, examination Heriot-Watt University, 11 February 2021, online.

Indicators of esteem

2021                       Member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists.

2019                       Joint curator (with June Hill) Humanitarian Handicrafts exhibition & practitioner event hosted by Holocaust Centre North, University of Huddersfield.

2018                       Supervisor of the Year, School Winner, University of Huddersfield.

2012                       Fellow of The Higher Education Academy.

2012                       Joint convener (with Penny Macbeth) “Outside: Activating Cloth to Enhance the Way We Live” international conference, University of Huddersfield, 23 January 2012.

2011-2018            Member of the board of directors, The International Fiber Collaborative, USA.

2011                       THE (Times Higher Education) Awards - shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community.

Websites                  

The 62 Group

Blue Plaques of Intangible Experiences

Social Art Library  

Transition & Influence: Gallery of Contemporary Textile Artists - Claire Barber