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Role:
Department staff:
- Position:Programme Leader BA Hons Fashion Textiles
- Department:Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries, and Education (ACE)
About me
Deb Southerland is a Senior Lecturer + Programme Leader of BA Hons Fashion Textiles.
Deb is a Senior Fellow of the HEA. (SFHEA.)
As Programme Leader Deb oversees all areas of the Programmes design and delivery; this includes strategic and curriculum development, as well as operational planning and management. During her time at UWE she has delivered in a number of Academic and Leadership roles as Module Leader, Programme Leader and Interim Associate Head of Department.
Deb has an extensive track record of innovative curriculum development across UG / PG programmes and led the new Programme development Teams for MA Design, D3, Fashion Communication and Fashion Textiles. Deb was co-Dept lead in the 22/23 Pass / Fail pilot for UG students at L4 which has now been adopted by all Programmes in the School of Arts.
Drawing on an extensive network of Industry Leaders, Deb has brokered a series of high profile sponsored and collaborative opportunities for students that include live briefs with John Lewis, Henri Lloyd, French Connection, Max Mara, Superdry, Shield 360 and Phoebe English. The inclusion of these briefs in the Programmes core-curricula ensures Students have authentic real-world learning experiences that elevate ambition and provide opportunity for Students to develop their own professional networks.
As Programme Lead Deb has responsibility for the creative direction, design and delivery of the Programmes annual Showcasing events which includes events such as London Fashion Week Digital, Graduate Fashion Week, New Designers, Premier Vision Paris as well as Live Fashion events at the Arnolfini and the School of Arts Degree Show.
Deb is the Teaching and Learning lead for the Fashion Textiles Subject Association (FTC). In this role she founded and continues to lead an annual series of Teaching and Learning events, curating high profile seminars from Industry and Sector Leaders. The series aims to respond to emergent shifts in both Industry and Subject pedagogy; and to provoke reflection, debate and development in response to these.
Deb is also on the FTC Conference Steering Group Committee, supporting Conference planning and reviewing abstracts for inclusion in the Sept 2025 Conference. Futurescan 6: Shifting Paradigms
Deb's interdisciplinary Studio pedagogy covers all areas of a Design methodology, and currently focuses on the following broadly defined areas: creative Research methodologies, critical ideation, Design thinking, inclusive Design methods and alternative modes of Fashion production.
Within these areas, Deb works with Students to facilitate an exploration of critical and expanded Fashion Textile Practices wherein Students can synthesise their individual strengths, creative vision and professional ambitions.
In addition to her Programme Leader Role Deb is L6 lead for the Fashion Textiles programme and Module Leader for the following Modules;
Professional Practice in Fashion Textiles 1 (Live Industry brief)
Preparation for Extended Study in Fashion Textiles 15c + 30c
Extended Study in Fashion Textiles 30c + 45c
Fashion Textiles Professional Development on Placement 30c
Area of expertise
External to UWE Deb curates and leads the annual online Learning and Teaching events series for the Subject Association - FTC. The events are open to all 55 Member HE Institutions in the UK and seek to provide a forum for critical debate, reflection and planning across all areas of Fashion Textiles pedagogy and practice.
Selected Events include //
Supporting students and avoiding academic burnout in this online COVID world. Feb 2021 Event session with Guest Speaker Vicky Fong RCA and Chaired by Deb Southerland
Global and Sector Challenges and the effects on locating Graduate Audiences Mar 2021 Event Speakers included Head of Government Relations & Education, British Fashion Council, Event Director, New Designers, Director of Brand Partnerships Graduate Fashion Week . Event Chair – Deb Southerland
'Designing Fashion's Future: Present Practice and Tactics for Sustainable Change' Dec 2022. Event Speaker Dr Alice Payne Associate Professor in Fashion in the School of Design, Queensland University of Technology. Event Chair – Deb Southerland
NSEAD + TFC – Whats happening with Key Stage 3? Dec 2022. Event Speaker; Liz Macfarlane President of NSEAD the Professional Body for Art, Craft and Design Educators. Event Chair – Deb Southerland
Unpaid Placements - Looking at current practice and how to protect Students Nov 2023. Event Speakers; Elliot Barlow Manufacturing Consultant UKFT and Gill Gledhill Managing Director GGHQ Fashion Intelligence. Event Chair – Deb Southerland
Digital Fashion; developing strategies for tomorrow’s workplace. Jan 2024. Event Speaker Lesley Holden The Digital Fashion Group. Event Chair – Deb Southerland
Applying Bio and Regenerative Materials Innovation into Pedagogy. Feb 2024. Event Speakers; Claire Anderson, Chelsea College of Arts, UAL. Stephanie Rolph, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow: Bio-Inspired Design, UAL. Clemence Belbéoch, PhD Researcher De Montfort University. Jo Pierce & Rebecca Hoyes (Founders Colour/Matter, CSM, UAL). Event Chair Veronika Kapsali, Professor of Materials Technology and Design at the London College of Fashion.
Championing Inclusivity and Diversity in AI – Digital Models and Avatars Jan 2025. Event Speaker Cameron Wilson. Event Chair – Deb Southerland
Publications
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