Our Supporters & Sponsors

Festival Patron

Mary La Trobe-Bateman OBE

Mary La Trobe- Bateman is a freelance applied arts curator, consultant and lecturer with a passionate commitment to the creative arts.
Following graduation from  Royal College Arts, she practised interior design and ran her own gallery. In 1994 appointed Director of Contemporary Applied Arts in London, one of the UK's leading galleries for the Applied Arts and crafts.
Here Mary established a vibrant gallery and expanded the exhibition and education programmes.
Mary has served on many committees and selection panels including Crafts Council and Collect at the V & A. In 2001 Mary received the OBE for services to contemporary craft.
She lives in Somerset with her husband, furniture and bridge designer, Richard La Trobe- Bateman

Advisory Board

Andy Ross

Andy Ross is a Creative Director of ASF Shetland, formerly the Ann Sutton Foundation, which specializes in weave and design education and training.
Andy lives in Yell, Shetland Isles, and is passionate about the local industry and traditions of “maakin” – a hand knitting and weave.
Andy grew up in Zimbabwe where textiles traditions are strong, His other love is singing.
He is a classically trained singer and promotes his singing passion through a musical charity that he established in 2001.
“I am very pleased to be invited to join the Advisory Board of Stroud International Textiles. Linking Shetland with international groups is very important to me, and important to the future of textiles in the isles.”

Andrew Harrison Director of Learning & Research, DEGW

Andrew joined DEGW in 1985 and is leader of the global Learning and Research teams.
Andrew has led a number of major international research projects including the European Commission supported research project Sustainable Accommodation for the New Economy, published in 2003 as 'The Distributed Workplace' and Project Faraday in 2007 which developed new space and experience models for the teaching of secondary school science in Britain. He is currently leading a major three year research project into the impact of personalized learning on school design for the DCSF.
Andrew is also Chair of the Centre for the Creative Industries in Shetland and is Chair of the Crafts Council.

Professor Ann Sutton MBE
Ann Sutton is an internationally renowned weaver whose artistic career spans some 50 years.
In 2002 she started the Ann Sutton Foundation, to raise the profile and design quality of woven textiles. Ann supports and encourages research and exploration, and builds relationships with industry.

Dr Polly Binns
Polly Binns is a writer, lecturer and arts advisor. She is a textile artist who has exhibited widely. Guest lecturer at Norwich College on the MA course. Chair Crafts Council Makers Development award scheme.

Dail Behennah
Dail began working as a contemporary basketmaker in 1990, making constructed rather than woven, sculptural objects. She has a Degree in Geography which continues to inform her work.
She recently has undertaken larger scale work. She has exhibited at major galleries throughout Britain and the USA and her work is in many public collectioins: Fitzwilliam Museum, Crafts Council to name a few.

Dr Beri Hare
Beri Hare (Dr) is Principal of Stroud College, where she took up post in 2006.  The college is a small, caring college that is founded on the respect and dignity of everyone who attends. The students at the college succeed well.  Beri is also a part time Ofsted registered Inspector and sits on a number of local and national bodies.  Stroud College has an outstanding reputation for Art & Design and has developed textiles and fashion to a high standard.  Beri’s original training was in Art & Design.
Prior to coming to Stroud College, Beri was Vice Principal of Bolton Community College and prior to that, she worked as a national consultant to over 50% of the colleges in the country.  Beri is very interested in all forms of the creative industries.

Polly Devlin OBE
Author- Broadcaster - Film Maker - Art Critic - Conservationist
Professor Barnard College, Columbia University, New York
Polly has had a rich and remarkable career, as a writer, film maker and now as a conservationist. She was awarded the OBE for services to Literature.
Polly has created a site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset.

Carole Waller
Carole Waller is an internationally renowned textile artist. Her art takes various forms, as clothing, as veils of cloth, and in collaboration with glass. She has a studio and gallery near Bath and exhibits worldwide.