Celebrating Textile Design Excellence at Made in the Middle Exhibition

Explore the inspiring work of Senior Lecturer Zoe Hillyard and graduate Mahawa Keita, featured in the Made in the Middle exhibition. Gain insights into their creative journeys, the challenges they’ve overcome, and how the BA Textile Design programme has shaped their work.

Made in the Middle is a prestigious contemporary craft exhibition led by Craftspace, showcasing the best of Midlands-based makers. As the 9th edition of this exhibition, it celebrates cutting-edge design that merges craft with sustainability, diversity, and creativity.

This year’s exhibition is particularly exciting for BCU's BA Textile Design programme, as it features works by both Senior Lecturer Zoë Hillyard and graduate Mahawa Keita. Through this showcase, visitors can explore inspiring stories of innovation, mentorship, and a shared passion for craft.

The exhibition will tour several key venues across the Midlands:

• Leicester Gallery, De Montfort University: 25 January – 22 March 2025
• Hub, Sleaford: 5 April – 6 July 2025
• Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery: 27 September – 22 November 2025
• Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham: 14 February – 11 April 2026

We spoke to Zoë and Mahawa about their experiences and inspirations on exhibiting their work. Sharing their thoughts on seeing Mahawa’s exploration of migration, identity, and belonging showcased alongside Zoë's work about responsible design.

What inspired the pieces you’ve contributed to this exhibition? 

Zoë: I have two bodies of work being exhibited in Made in the Middle, both exploring circular and slow design principles, and are the latest in an ongoing exploration of material waste streams through craft practice. My established practice involves combining post-consumer printed textiles and ceramics, creating stitched Ceramic Patchwork vessels in an exploration of our relationship to possessions.

Two years ago, I embarked on research to replace these materials with organic and biodegradable alternatives. I created a series of forms using eggshell biomaterials moulded round allotment grown vegetables, with the pieces held together by wrapped organic pineapple fabric and organic cotton thread. The challenge was considerable!  Subsequent research has seen the pineapple fabric replaced by a hand-knitted textile, creating a form for embedding biomaterials.  I hand-spun over 50m of nettle-fibre cordage from stems harvested and processed at my allotment to make the two forms being exhibited. The pieces represent ‘proof of concept’ and I am looking forward to continue creating work that is relates to place, seasonality and craftsmanship.  

Mahawa: 'Be you for you'- looks at the effects of the societal migrant impact and it's response. It challenges viewers to understand migrants as complex individuals rather than negative stereotypes, through intricate textiles. As a proverb says in my first language Mandinka. “No matter how long a log stays in the water, it will never turn into a crocodile.” This means individuals cannot fundamentally change their essence.

How does it feel to exhibit your work alongside each other?

Zoë: It is always special to watch our Textile Design graduates find their feet in diverse roles within industry, and particularly brilliant when our professional lives cross! It is wonderful to see Mahawa’s work evolve and particularly special to see her work exhibited as she missed out on a Graduate Showcase due to the pandemic. Made in the Middle’s remit is to showcase the best of regional contemporary craft practice and Mahawa’s work is powerful, exploring themes of migration, identity and belonging.

Mahawa: It gave me highest honour and pride, so fulfilling and uplifting, and the way Zoë embraced me even on the exhibition day, raised my confidence as an artist. Zoe took me in since my first day in BCU up to my graduation day. She guided and supported me throughout even to this day. I am blessed to get to know Zoë.

What makes BCU's Textile Design programme unique?

Zoë: The BA Textile Design programme at BCU provides students with fantastic Workshop spaces, equipment and expertise with which to explore the world of materials through traditional and cutting-edge technologies, focusing for fashion, interiors and artistic applications. Our cohort size means we get to know our students individually and help nurture their particular skills and career ambitions. As material innovators in the heart of Parkside building, our students are brilliantly positioned to collaborate with a range of other disciplines.  

How has studying at BCU shaped your approach to Textile Design?

Mahawa: I have a deep curiosity when it comes to manipulating textile materials and waiting to see outcomes. The endless suprises and satisfaction especially. That is what BCU has made possible for me up to a very advanced level. It's allowed me to create new techniques to interpret stories, to a point that I see potential in everything.

What advice would you give to students who want to pursue a career in Textile Design?

Zoë: Go for it! Textiles is integral to so many design disciplines, and a practical understanding of material properties and how they are made is needed by a wide range of industries.  The drive for increasing transparency within manufacturing supply chains is shining a spotlight on all stages of product development and consumption making fibre and textile knowledge valuable. High levels of craftsmanship can create items with longevity and build personal connection, providing a counter balance to increasingly digital lifestyles. 

As well as stepping into Textile Design roles, our graduates are shaping the products we interact with through Colour Material Finish and Trend Forecasting jobs, whilst also strengthening our communities through socially-engaged practices and creative advocacy. Ultimately Textile Designers develop great problem-solving skills making them supremely adaptable in this fast-moving world.

Mahawa: Use your time wisely—three years go by quickly. There’s no other place that offers free studio access, especially with the facilities at BCU and the talented, wonderful technicians who treat you like family. Never limit yourself, because practice makes perfect.

What do you hope visitors will take away from the exhibition?

Zoë: Be inspired by the creativity, ingenuity and diversity of our region – and be inspired to create yourself, whether that be textiles, cooking, growing, writing or performing.

How does this exhibition reflect the creative spirit of the Midlands?

Zoe: The focus Craftspace places on inclusivity in their work is exemplary and reflects the pride we take in welcoming newcomers. The exhibition really highlights the diversity of creative practices and passion for the ideas being explored, reflecting the brilliant multi-cultural nature of our communities.  

What’s next for you creatively or academically after this exhibition?

Zoë: As my creativity is increasingly becoming aligned to the growing season, I am looking forward to spring and getting my hands dirty with growing and harvesting raw materials. I will be exhibiting ceramic patchwork vessels at OXO Tower as part of London Craft Week (Home - London Craft Week) 12-18 May.  

Instagram: @ceramicpatchwork

Website: Zoë Hillyard – Ceramic Patchwork

Mahawa: I am creating woven art pieces for a residency and exhibition pieces for the IKON gallery this summer. The exhibition is called ‘Thread the Loom’ which opens on the 25th June and is a collaboration between BA Textile Design and IKON.

There will be a number of micro-residencies with several artists weaving on a Dobby loom in the gallery space. I will be there between Friday 8th and Saturday 16th August, so come and say hello! It’s going to be interesting because I have never shown any woven pieces before.

 Instagram: @mansading_designs