Edinburgh Napier University

  Smart Textiles: Lit Lace for performance, is one of twenty four projects funded by the second WEAR (Wearable technologists Engage with Artists for Responsible Innovation) Sustain call.
WEAR is part of a two year, €3m project, funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 research and innovation initiative to engage art, design and creative industries to work more closely with technology and engineering industries, to shift the development of the wearable and e-textile landscape towards a more sustainable and ethical approach.

The Smart Textiles project builds on previous research into Light-emitting Innovative Textiles (University of Dundee & MYB Textiles, 2016) and the recent follow-on project, Innovative Lighting Solutions for Smart Textile Production (Edinburgh Napier University, MYB Textiles & Mike Stoane Lighting, 2017). It is a collaborative project involving smart textile practitioners, theatre set, installation and costume designers, theatre lighting specialists, textile manufacturers and Napier University.

Smart Textiles: Lit Lace for performance will explore the inherent, programmable potential of newly developed light-emitting fabric and creatively exploit light within and on cloth within a performance environment. It will cut down on the need for large, heavy set designs, the printing of fabrics which cannot necessarily be re-used and create a point of departure in terms of manufacture, sustain UK industry and the manufacture of smart textiles locally through existing infrastructure, heritage mills and high value technology SMEs. The Project is an opportunity to bring these developments to the creative arenas in order to push the design and creative use of these versatile smart textiles, and through customer support, help promote life-cycle management.

The project aims to develop ideas for a more flexible and creative design system comprising textiles, electronics and lighting technology, and build infrastructure for the collaborators to explore the potential that large scale responsive cloth has to create new display, projection, and visual effects for backdrops, set designs and immersive experiences. It aim to present a range of responsive cloth backdrops, designed to be controllable through the stage environment and will explore potential lighting systems and alternative ways of lighting through programmable means. 

Napier’s input will provide knowledge on existing textile illuminators and the creative potential for lighting the textiles; practical lighting tests for prototype trials; ideas for projection lighting effects in conjunction with other collaborators; provide lighting equipment and access to specialist environments; provide contact names of specialist manufacturers for project specific requirements.