Reflecting on Mark to Material, I’m struck by how the workshop’s success lay not in its precision, but in its openness. What began as an overambitious plan evolved into something far more collaborative and responsive, a reminder that structure and freedom are not opposites, but dynamic partners in learning. The playfulness, spontaneity, and process-led ethos of the session not only resonated with participants but reaffirmed my own commitment to creating spaces where experimentation feels safe, valued and visible.
Moving forward, I see clear opportunities to embed these insights within my Associate Lecturer role at UAL. One of the most immediate applications will be in the upcoming Divergent Thinking briefing for third-year students, a session designed to spark creativity at the start of a new project. Inspired by Mark to Material, I plan to integrate more tactile and intuitive exercises: using graphics/shape to translate emotion into imagery, introducing quick 3D making challenges These activities mirror the workshop’s process-led approach, but with a sharper focus on critical making and conceptual development suitable for a graduating cohort.
Fig 1,2,3
In my first-year teaching, where many students struggle to see the value of sketchbooks, often reflected in their ‘Enquiry’ assessment criteria, I want to rethink the briefing experience itself. Rather than a dense, slide-heavy presentation filled with examples that can overwhelm new students, I hope to create a more active and visually engaging “creative briefing.” Drawing from my ARP learnings, this session would transform the sketchbook from a site of anxiety into one of exploration. By referencing diverse creative practitioners such as Massimo Osti, Visvim, and Alexander McQueen, I aim to demonstrate that there is no single ‘right’ way to visualise ideas or build a body of research. The goal is to show that sketchbooks can be alive with material thinking, a space where enquiry happens through process, not perfection.
The next Mark to Material iteration, now scheduled at London College of Fashion (LCF), offers an exciting opportunity to build on what worked while addressing key areas for growth. I’ll be co-facilitating with an embroidery tutor, which will allow us to weave together distinct but complementary perspectives. Utilising the ‘waste’, from print, knit and weave studios to highlight sustainability not as an abstract concept but as an embedded, lived practice. This approach connects directly to my ARP’s interest in inclusive, process-led pedagogy: using material constraints as creative catalysts rather than limitations.
Information collated by insights CSM after the workshop.
I also plan to refine the session’s rhythm. While the looseness of the original workshop enabled freedom, I’m curious to see how introducing a touch more structure to the drawing exercises might shift outcomes. Would more specific prompts enhance confidence, or risk reintroducing pressure? This small adjustment, guided by participant feedback and my own reflections, will deepen my understanding of how balance functions in process-led learning.
Collaborating again with my previous student assistant, Oliver, also opens up new questions about co-facilitation and positionality. His curation of music and documentation during the last workshop transformed the atmosphere, reminding me that facilitation is a shared, creative act. For the next session, I plan to give my co-facilitator greater ownership of the soundscape and material-based exploration, treating these contributions as integral to the learning ecology rather than supportive add-ons. In doing so, I hope to embody what Freire (1970) describes as a “dialogue of equals,” where learning is co-constructed rather than delivered.
Ultimately, these next steps extend my action research beyond critique into sustained pedagogical practice. The Mark to Material framework has become more than a workshop, it’s evolving into a way of teaching and thinking that values process over polish, dialogue over direction and freedom as a disciplined curiosity.
References
- Freire, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum.
- hooks, b. (1994) Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York: Routledge.
- Gray, C. and Malins, J. (2004) Visualizing Research: A Guide to the Research Process in Art and Design. London: Routledge.
- Fletcher, K. (2008) Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys. London: Earthscan.
- Kara, H. (2015) Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide. Bristol: Policy Press.
Fig 1-3 [R, Taylor], (30/09/2025) “From mark to material: explorations in experimental textiles delivered by Romany Taylor with CSM& LCF Outreach 2025“