Arts University Plymouth Interior and Textile Design Students Transform Plymouth-based Women’s Centre

First-year BA (Hons) Interior and Textile Design students from Arts University Plymouth have provided a stunning interior makeover for Trevi’s Sunflower Women’s Centre. This initiative was part of a live brief designed to give students real-world experience and regular opportunities to engage professionally with external organisations.

42 students contributed to the success of this project under the guidance of senior lecturer and course leader for BA Textile Design, Emma Gribble and Interior Design Lecturer, Katie Beasley. Students had to work in teams to create a trend-led interior and textile concept, including a bespoke piece, for a specific room in Trevi’s Sunflower Women’s Centre in Plymouth, which are each named after famous women.

Each design group focused on one room, developing an exciting, contemporary design concept centred around the needs of the women using the space. This involved creating a range of new soft furnishings.

To ensure a comprehensive understanding of the space, the students visited the Sunflower Women’s Centre to experience the entire house, not just the specific rooms they worked on.

The project began with students creating concepts for the makeover. These concepts became creation and culminated in visual presentations displayed for Trevi’s Hayley Everett, Head of Fundraising and Communications, and Paula Carnell, Sunflower Women’s Centre Manager.

Hayley praised the students' work, stating, ‘It was an incredible project to be involved in – the first years’ work standard was just exceptional and blew us all away. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of it – we thoroughly enjoyed it.’

Paula echoed these sentiments, saying, ‘I can only mirror your words for the quality of work and commitment shown by the students.’

Emma Gribble - Senior Lecturer and Course Leader - BA (Hons) Textiles.

‘This project has given our students a great understanding on the value of working on this real world live brief.  Our students gained an excellent insight into the positive impact their creativity and design skills can make on an environment and the people who utilise them .

This project also gave our students a brilliant opportunity to work together in design teams, negotiating design schemes and colour choices. Our textile and interior students were also encouraged to share skills and learn from each other.  Working with Trevi on this project has been amazing! It's been an absolute joy to see the work the students have produced and watch how inspired they were by working with Trevi.  I very much look forward to working again with Trevi.’

Many of the pieces have now been generously donated to Sunflower Women’s Centre.

Trevi’s Sunflower Women’s Centre continues to support more than 500 women every year.  Almost all the women Trevi supports have a history of trauma and abuse.

To find out more about the services available to support victims of domestic abuse, please visit www.trevi.org.uk