The course

Conceptual design, research-oriented experimentation and the development of functional prototypes are the main focal points of design education at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. Our core concerns are the experimental investigation of visionary material and product ideas and the broadening of the search for innovative solutions for products, spaces and clothing which combine aesthetics, sustainability and function in harmonious manner.

Alongside a solid basis in the technical fundamentals, project work is also of central importance in the Textile Design course. Various project topics are each associated with concrete requirements that are placed on the design and functions of textiles.

The aim of this course of study is to train textile designers with their own trademark artistic approaches. They should be able to combine individuality, craft quality, an awareness of problems and technical skill in their innovative concepts. In addition, they should also be able to harness their own potential in teams and also be capable of working independently in a responsible manner. Sensibility for form, colour and materials will be trained and developed in free practical exercises in design. The teaching of various approaches nurtures students’ confidence in developing conceptual designs and implementing these.

Teaching content

Over the standard duration of the Bachelor of Arts course of 8 semesters, specialised and increasingly complex issues will be dealt with. The spectrum ranges from clothing materials and decorative textiles right through to interior surfaces in cars. Students consider and investigate craft skills and traditional techniques in an intensive manner in order to establish a foundation for the mastery of textile technologies. Building on this, they then develop their own innovative interpretations in workshops at the university. Essential aesthetic and craft experience is acquired in the course of direct contact with material and manual techniques. In addition, lectures in the history of textiles, fabric structures, materials science and other areas are on offer alongside general design theory subjects.

Prerequisites

General qualification for university entrance, and artistic suitability.

Nine-month pre-university practical experience period in the areas of silkscreen textile printing, digital textile printing, weaving, embroidery, knitting, clothing textiles, technical textiles or home textiles. In exceptional cases, students can apply for the duration can be reduced. Completed vocational training in related professions will also be recognised in lieu of a pre-university practical experience period upon request. The general qualification for university entrance can be waived in cases of exceptional talent; this will be judged in the suitability test.

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Cooperation partners

We cooperate closely with the State Textile and Tapestry Factory (Staatlicher Textil- und Gobelinmanufaktur) in Halle as regards the use of workshops, the exchange of expertise, and joint projects.

The department also works with companies in the relevant industries and with textile research institutes. We also have close partnerships with: BMW, Munich; Hess Natur, Butzbach; Creation Baumann, Langenthal, Switzerland; Merck, Darmstadt; Keller AG, Wald, Switzerland, Madeira, Freiburg; Digital Media Point, Magdeburg; StrickChic, Apolda; Rohleder, Konradsreuth, Colortextil Frankenberg, Saxony; Seidenweberei Eschke and many others, and with the TITV Greiz and STFI Chemnitz textile research institutes. 

Internationally, there are strong links with the Textile Museum Tilburg in the Netherlands through the “European Textile Trainee” programme, with the GTZ technical cooperation service in Aleppo, Syria, through the “Aleppo Textile House” project, and with Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul, Turkey, thanks to joint projects. Our international contacts are continually being expanded.

Brief information

• Discipline within the Fashion Design course of study
• Solid fundamental skills in design and art
• Subject-specific project
• Accompanying course elements in sciences and theory