Fashion students from Stratford-upon-Avon College recently took part in a crafting workshop where their creativity will inspire sections of a brand-new performance produced by top theatre makers.
The new production, River Tours: The Avon, is the latest instalment of Stan’s Café’s ongoing River Tour project which has previously visited The Thames, The Lune, The Indus, The Severn and The Volga. This newest project is supported by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and the community groups they work with. It is also supported by Live & Local.
Working closely with communities and groups across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, the project team is currently collecting stories which will inform a series of performances of River Tours: The Avon in August 2026 along the river. Fashion students at the college were excited to be one of the groups included.
The students developed new skills working on the project
The day saw first and second year students get the opportunity to work with West Midlands-based Stan’s Café and Studio MEAD from the Brook Arts Hub, a local arts hub in Shottery, Stratford-upon-Avon, on rug tufting and screen printing activities.
Led by Textile Artist Ellie Carr-Smith and Print Designer Molly Hughes, who is also a college alumni, the students created scenes from along the River Avon and got to put their own spin on colour and texture. Their creations will be used as inspiration for the final textile river map, which will be used in the actual performances.
Here are some examples of what the students were working on that will inspire the final piece
Fashion Lecturer, Louisa Figus, commented: “Being part of Stan’s Cafe’s River Tours project was an amazing experience for the Fashion and Textiles students to work collaboratively with other organisations on a real-world project. They learnt new skills in tufting, lino printing and needle point and were able to use their new and previous textiles skills knowledge to create part of a map scene that will be used in the final performance, allowing them to see how textiles techniques can be used in different parts of industry, and from a different angle to fashion and costume.”
The River Tours performances will be along the Avon in August, with venues to be announced soon. Anyone with a story to tell about the river is encouraged to email the River Tours: Avon team (before Sunday 29 March 2026) via: rivers@stanscafe.co.uk.
