Editorial

摘要

Fashion and textiles practices intersect traditional processes and innovative technologies. Tacit knowledge acquired through hand skills, making, utilizing equipment and working with processes is fundamental to developing understanding. Although practical learning is valued, the teaching of creative and making subjects is under threat in formal education. Within the fashion and textile industries there are skills shortages. Heritage crafts risk being lost as digital technologies and automation impact upon future generations. In response to this challenging context, the Association of Fashion and Textiles Courses (FTC) selected the theme 'Valuing Practice' for its most recent Futurescan conference, held at the University of Bolton, UK, 23rd-24th January 2019. The conference included keynote presentations, full papers, short papers and examples of practice-based work, presented in a two-day exhibition (Figure 1). This issue of the Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice brings together selected articles developed from presentations at Futurescan 4: Valuing Practice. Authors have responded to the topics: Learning from History, Tradition and Industry (Brooks Hagan); Valuing Artisan Skills, Drawing and Making (Fiona Raeside-Elliot); Designing Responsibly and Working Sustainably (Laetitia Forst; Elizabeth Gaston and Jane Scott); Investigating Creative Processes and Pedagogy (Cathryn Hall; Donna Sgro).