The initiative to develop the Textile Network started in 2003 with 'Tracing the Threads', a staff, student and graduate Textiles exhibition at the Cajobah Gallery in Birkenhead. This exhibition profiled the work of graduates, staff and current students from the BA (Hons.) and MA Contemporary Applied Arts and was curated by Angie Wyman, Course Leader for the MA Contemporary Applied Arts programme. The exhibition was successful on many levels but mainly that this was the first time that Applied Arts graduates, current students and staff had exhibited their work together in a collective show.

The Textile Network offers the opportunity to link to undergraduate live projects that we currently run in conjuction with the Crafts Council and further develop the collaborative practice alreadly established at postgraduate level.

Textile Network Membership is initially limited to graduates and current students from the Contemporary Applied Arts programmes at The University of Cumbria (and the former Cumbria Institute of the Arts).

As the website has evolved we have established links with regional, national and international makers within the field of textiles.

Cumbria as a region has a long standing textile history with woven and printed textile mills, galleries and event, including Linton Tweeds, who design and weave fabrics for the international fashion Haute Couture market are based in Carlisle and Stead McAlpin, based in Cummersdale are commission textile printers of international repute.

Cumbria is also starting to develop its own textile events including 'Woolfest', now in the fourth year as a major international textile festival based in Cockermouth, promoting wool and associated fibre arts. Farfield Mill, based in Sedbergh offers textile studio and gallery space for contemporary textiles.  See the Links section of the website.

The Textile Network is based at the University of Cumbria, which is a founding member of the UK Arts and Design Institutions Association (UKADIA) whose mission is to promote specialist institutions offering higher education courses in art and design and to add value to their effectiveness through sharing good practice.

The Textile Network offers prospective and current students, graduates and other stakeholders, the opportunity to engage in an emerging organisation for Textiles research and the dissemination of good practice across the sector.