Warps and Wefts: Textiles, Design and Scotland in Historical and Contemporary Contexts

About the Project

This project will analyse and critique the centrality of textiles to Scotland’s design and cultural heritage, in turn questioning and demonstrating the continued significance of textiles to the wider remit of V&A Dundee. Recent exhibitions, publications and projects have shown how textiles in general, and Scottish textiles specifically, resonate with diverse audiences. To date, however, such works have focused on specific fibres or types of textiles such as tartan or linen. This CDP will expand on this scholarship to look at textiles holistically, rather than individual types, examining how cloth as a distinct form of material culture has shaped Scottish history. The project will interrogate and question the idea of ‘Scottish’ design, by examining colonial networks and influence, and by considering environmental impact and sustainability of textile production and display. The project will also determine how these narratives might be shared with museum visitors to enrich understandings of the past, present and future of Scotland’s textile heritage.

Three key perspectives form the foundation of the project:

• The making of textiles in Scotland and beyond from the nineteenth century onwards.
• The movement of textiles in global networks and their impact on Scottish trade, manufacture and consumption.
• The past and future meaning of these textiles as they move through location, time, ownership, use and display.

Research questions may include:

• How do V&A collections reflect and represent environmental impacts of textile manufacture, from the extraction of raw materials in South-East Asia to the industrialising processes of Scotland’s central belt, for example?
• How can notions of what constitutes or defines ‘Scottish’ design be questioned and interrogated through the origins and development of textile collections?
• What is the future of textile heritage to the story of Scottish design as presented at V&A Dundee?

The successful student will be expected to spend time conducting research and gaining relevant experience with the partner, V&A Dundee, and the wider V&A Museum Group. This will include a 6-month placement at V&A Dundee and research trips to V&A South Kensington and V&A East Storehouse.

To apply for this scholarship, you should complete an application to study a PhD in History of Art (Research) at the University of Glasgow (supervisor Dr Sally Tuckett). All suitable applications will be considered for the scholarship. There is no need to complete a separate scholarship application. PhD applications should be submitted through the University of Glasgow’s postgraduate application system. Full information, advice and access to the application system is available here:

Postgraduate Research History of Art University of Glasgow

Please note on your application that you are applying for the Warps and Wefts AHRC CDP Award.

As this award will be jointly managed in partnership with the V&A Museum Group (VAMG), the University of Glasgow will be required to share your application and supporting documents with VAMG. If you apply for this studentship, you are agreeing to share your data with the V&A Dundee co-supervisors for this project and the VAMG research team. The University’s full Data Protection Statement is available via the application portal.

Applications should be submitted no later than 12 June 2026, at 1700.

Interviews will take place online the week commencing 6 July and will take place online. Timings will be allocated closer to the time.

We ask all applicants to complete a voluntary EDI monitoring form. All responses are anonymous.

Eligibility

This studentship is open to both Home and International applicants.

To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be a UK or Irish National (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have settled status, or
• Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

Further guidance can be found here based on revisions to UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions for projects starting in October 2025.

Students with an ‘overseas’ fee status are welcome to apply. The University of Glasgow have waived the difference between international and home fees, so international candidates do not need to cover this cost. They will be required to reside in the UK until completion of the PhD.

We want to encourage the widest range of potential students to study for a CDP studentship and are committed to welcoming students from different backgrounds to apply. We particularly welcome applications from people of Global Majority backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented at this level in this area.

Applicants should ideally have or expect to receive a relevant Masters-level qualification in a relevant subject, including (but not limited to) History of Art, History, Museum Studies, or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a relevant professional setting.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate an interest in the cultural heritage sector and potential and enthusiasm for developing skills more widely in related areas.

As a collaborative award, students will be expected to spend time at both the University and the V&A Dundee.

NB. All applicants must meet UKRI terms and conditions for funding. See:

Funding Notes

CDP doctoral training grants fund full-time studentships for 48 months (4 years) or part-time equivalent (max 8 years).

The award pays tuition fees up to the value of the full-time home fee. Research Councils UK Indicative Fee Level for 2026/2027 is £5238. The award pays an annual stipend for all students, both home and international students. This stipend is tax-free, and is the equivalent of an annual salary, enabling the student to pay living costs. The UKRI Minimum Doctoral Stipend for 2026/27 is £21,805*. There is also a CDP maintenance payment of £600 per year. The successful candidate is eligible to receive an additional travel and related expenses grant during the course of the project, courtesy of V&A Museum Group (VAMG), worth up to £1250 over the four funded years of the project (pro-rated for part-time students).