Wearable Words: A case study applying Jewellery theory and practice to the education of Fine Art, Textiles Innovation and Design, Graphic Communication and Illustration students

Abstract

Wearable Words is a cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary education adventure that investigates the human body through ‘wearable objects’. It transfers the teaching of jewellery studies to a group of learners from different disciplines including: Fine Art, Textiles and Graphic Communication and Illustration. It aims to determine whether the theoretical issues of jewellery and jewellery technologies can bring an innovative research method and new practical tools to students who are not familiar with the jewellery arena. In so doing, Wearable Words symbolises the non–verbal communications of body related objects. The paper examines the preliminary challenges, weaknesses and successes of the project, which was delivered to 19 second year BA students between February and June 2016 at Loughborough University. It analyses the extent to which a shift to the theoretical and practical approaches of jewellery design education enabled students of different disciplines to develop their research methodologies, design capabilities and making skills. The results are analysed through observational methods, open ended questions, and visual analysis.