Summer School
Since our inception, the Summer School has been the highlight of the year—and it is open to everyone. Whether you are a regular summer school attendee or a student joining us for the first time, it offers a rare opportunity to step away from a busy world and dedicate uninterrupted time to your creative textile practice.
This residential experience is designed to be a "melting pot of ideas," bringing together some of the country’s finest textile tutors. Working in a communal studio environment, you will benefit from diverse perspectives, foster new friendships, and experience the collective energy of makers working side-by-side.
In this supportive and encouraging atmosphere, you can:
- Immerse yourself fully without the distractions of everyday life.
- Overcome creative blocks through tutor guidance and group discussion.
- Explore new techniques for recording and developing your concepts.
- Widen your horizons and discover fresh directions for your work.
Join our community of makers to review, reflect, and have fun in the process.
2027 Summer School: Surface and Structure
Monday 19 – Thursday 22 July 2027
Hillscourt Hotel and Venue, Rose Hill, Rednal, Birmingham B45 8RS
Explore, discover, and develop new ways of transforming your materials. Over the course of the week, you will layer print, stitch, and manipulate to reveal rich, tactile surfaces full of creative possibility. Guided by experienced and inspirational tutors, you will be supported to develop your own ideas in a warm, encouraging, and collaborative environment.
Courses
At Summer School, we offer you the chance to work with one of three tutors over 4 days. You must select your preferred tutor at registration and will work exclusively with them for the duration of the course. Choose between:
- What Lies Beneath, with Sheila Mortlock
- Affecting Change, with Eleanor Burkett
- Stitch, Print, Stitch / Repeat, with Sarah Burgess
There will be a maximum of 44 students across the three groups.
For any enquiries, please email summerschool@textilestudygroup.co.uk.
Stitch, Print, Stitch / Repeat, with Sarah Burgess
Join me to explore some of the hidden marks and possibilities that basic stitches can reveal. We will work with hand stitch to form simple printing blocks before printing with rubber rollers on to a range of materials; paper and fabric, opaque and semi-transparent materials. We will use positive and negative images to reveal hidden marks and build unexpected patterns and textures. Participants will continue their explorations with a series of design exercises using layers of stitch, print and collage. Before they begin to grow their work and ideas into a series of more personal studies for further development in their own time.
This workshop is suitable for enthusiastic beginners as well as more experienced students.
Sarah trained as a mature student and was a college lecturer in further and higher education for 21 years. She currently works with groups and individual students. Following college teaching Sarah completed an MA ADD in Textiles at Manchester School of Art. She has exhibited widely both with the Textile Study Group and internationally and is fascinated by the potential of printmaking techniques combined with stitch. Sarah lives and works in rural Derbyshire, surrounded by woods and water where she is actively involved in environmental woodland management and industrial archaeology.
What Lies Beneath, with Sheila Mortlock
What attracts us about working with, expressing ourselves through, textiles are the layers we can create with colour, painted &/or printed, then working on the surface with applied fabric and stitch. It all goes to create a surface texture that is rich and interesting. This workshop will demonstrate how simple print techniques, easily done at home without the need for expensive equipment, can help you produce unique pieces. Each piece can be used as a background for stitch or can be cut up to add areas of interest and pattern to an ongoing piece. We will start by creating the painted surfaces, on both paper and fabric, and then we will work with fabric, sheers and other pieces, to collage on to the printed surface followed by the addition of stitch to create unique pieces.
This workshop is suitable for enthusiastic beginners as well as more experienced students.
Born and brought up in Broughty Ferry on Scotland’s east coast, Sheila Mortlock studied printed textiles and embroidery at Dundee’s prestigious Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. She taught art in secondary schools and off-site provision in the city before becoming a lecturer in textiles at Dundee FE College. She was a founding member of Edge - Textile Artists Scotland, and has exhibited nationally and internationally. Since leaving formal teaching she continues to be invited to conduct workshops and day schools for groups in Scotland and south of the border but has also taught in India and New Zealand.
Affecting Change, with Eleanor Burkett
There will be no intimidating blank sheets of paper as you pattern, crumple, pierce, slash, texture and stitch into and onto paper. A unique feature of this course will be the use of specialist papers and paste as you are introduced to paper-textile techniques from Japan. You will learn to make paper thread and emboss paper and be encouraged to seek new possibilities and workable alternatives suited to your practice.
Through a series of creative exercises you will build up a ‘palette’ of papers, some of which you will work into in a more resolved way over the four days, others to stimulate ideas for future work. Eleanor will support the development of your ideas with 1:1 guidance and above all there will be a sense of fun and enquiry as you pair fabric with paper in new and exciting ways.
There will be a small charge of £15 for specialist materials not available in the UK
Working from an East London studio, paper is at the heart of Eleanor’s practice whether this is making paper, slashing and rolling paper ‘thread’, exploring script & mark making or shaping paper into three-dimensional form. Her work is a contemporary response to paper-textile techniques learnt in North East Japan where she lived for several years. She is currently sessional papermaking tutor at Morley College, London and lectures and runs workshops on a free-lance basis. Research is integral to her practice. A limited edition book she authored entitled ‘Washi Memories’ was published by The Old School Press in 2023.
Feedback From Previous Participants
"Thank you for an exceptional experience!"
"Having skilled teachers at this level for 4 days is special."
"Enthusiastic tutors who develop your skills make Summer school so enjoyable."
"I thoroughly enjoyed the course. A good mix of learning and having time to complete your own work. It was good having access to other workshop areas to see what other people were doing."
"It was an inspiring course. So lovely to at last be with other textile artists again and have my food cooked for me."
"Excellent course subject – something a little different from the usual textile courses."
"I have been coming to TSG summer schools for over thirty years and it is a particular highlight of my summer activities."
Summer School booking will open on October 12th.
Dates & Times
The Textile Study Group summer school runs across 4 days, beginning at 2.00pm on Monday 19 July, and ending after afternoon tea on Thursday 22 July 2027.
The Venue
Hillscourt Hotel and Venue, Rose Hill, Rednal, Birmingham B45 8RS
www.hillscourt.co.uk
Hillscourt is a delightful venue set in 25 acres of beautiful grounds and gardens. The Victorian house dates back to 1897 and retains many of its original features. It is located in leafy South Birmingham, near to Bromsgrove, Worcestershire and close to the Lickey Hills.
The venue is easily accessible by road being a 5 minute drive from the M5 Junction 4 and 5 minutes from the M42 Junction 1. The nearest train station is at Longbridge and the nearest airport is Birmingham International Airport.
There is ample free parking available.
Board & Lodging
All bedrooms are ensuite. Bedrooms are to be vacated by 9.30am on the Thursday morning.
If you are making a long journey, bed and breakfast for Sunday and/ or Thursday night can be arranged by you directly with the venue, not through the Textile Study Group. This also applies to partners who wish to stay there.
Costs
- £820 Resident: Full board, ensuite bedroom, tuition fee
- £840 International: Full board, ensuite bedroom, tuition fee
- £665 Non-resident: Includes lunch, evening meal, tuition fee
The course fee does not include lunch on Monday 19 July.
If you will receive an in-service grant from a college, please pay the Textile Study Group the deposit and balance by the due dates. Then claim a refund from your college.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you read these Terms and Conditions carefully; they are in line with our liabilities to the venue centre. You will be asked to confirm your acceptance of the T&C on booking.
The Textile Study Group reserves the right to cancel the course. In that circumstance, deposits and balances already paid will be refunded to each student.
Balance payment is due by 28 March 2027. Please pay on time to confirm your reserved place.
Cancellation
Cancellation, after payment of the balance, must be notified by email to the Booking Secretary.
If your place is filled:
Full refund of the balance will be made, less handling/admin charge of £20.
If your place is not filled:
- Cancellation after 60 days before start of course (19 July 2027), 50% of fee will be refunded and £20 handling/admin charge deducted.
- Cancellation after 30 days before start of course (19 July 2027), 25% of fee will be refunded and £20 handling/admin charge deducted.
- Cancellation after 14 days before start of course (19 July 2027), no refund will be given.
Any refund due will be paid after the start of the Summer School.
In the circumstance of a tutor being unavailable, the Textile Study Group reserves the right to replace them with another Textile Study Group tutor.
The Textile Study Group reserves the right to limit the participation of any student.
Further Details
Venue information, course timetable and equipment list will be sent to you in the first week of June.
If you have any queries, please contact summerschool@textilestudygroup.co.uk.
Booking
Please use our online booking form (Summer School booking will open on October 12th) to make your booking once you have read through the terms and conditions above. You will be asked to confirm your acceptance of the T&C on booking.
You will receive an automated copy of your application form by email. Your completed details will be sent to the Booking Secretary.
There will be a maximum of 44 students across the three groups. You will be offered a place if available and sent full details of how to make a deposit to accept.
Payments are in pound sterling by BACS. Bank charges are your responsibility. If you are unsure about BACS payments or emailing, please ask family/friends for help!
When your payment has cleared in the TSG bank account, you will be sent a confirmation letter.
If you cancel within 7 days, you will be refunded your deposit less 20%.
FAQ
How do I book a course?
Complete the Booking Form and submit as instructed. You will receive an automated copy of your application form by email. Your completed details will be sent to the Booking Secretary. You will be offered a place if available and sent full details of how to make a deposit to accept.
What if I need to cancel my place?
Please see our Summer School terms and conditions. You confirmed having read these when you submitted your booking form.
What if a course is cancelled?
The Textile Study Group reserves the right to cancel the course. In that circumstance, deposits and balances already paid will be refunded to each student. In the circumstance of a tutor being unavailable, the Textile Study Group reserves the right to replace them with another Textile Study Group tutor.
When does the Summer School start and finish?
The Summer School begins at 2:30 pm on Monday, which allows you to travel to Hillscourt that morning if you prefer. The course will conclude at 4 pm on Thursday. Please note that these times may vary slightly, but you will receive a final timetable in June.
When can I check in?
We request that rooms be ready by 2 pm; however, there may be situations beyond our control where they are not available until 4 pm, and you may need to wait accordingly. In the meantime, you are welcome to take all your workshop materials to the studios between 1 pm and 2 pm.
What materials will I need to bring?
Your tutor will provide a comprehensive list of what you need to supply. This will be sent to you in June.
Do we have access to the studios in the evenings?
Yes, you do. On Monday evenings, there is a taught session. Typically, on Tuesdays, the tutors hold a presentation. On Wednesdays, while the tutor may not be present, you are still welcome to use the studio.
What if I am unhappy with my room?
If there are any problems with your room during your stay please speak to the reception staff at Hillscourt. They are always very responsive to concerns.
Can I book extra nights at the venue?
You can book additional nights at the venue. However, you will need to arrange this directly with Hillscourt and pay for the extra nights and any food directly with them. Hillscourt also has a bar menu available in the lounge, offering a wide variety of hot and cold food, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
How do I get there?
A map will be sent to you in June, but it's easiest to use Sat Nav when driving. Hillscourt is located near major motorways. Information about traveling by train will be provided in June as well.
Queries
For any queries about the Summer School please contact summerschool@textilestudygroup.co.uk.
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