This week saw the launch of the 2027 CEP Young Designers program, with a hands-on workshop delivered by some of the designers from Superdry and hosted by HSL. Always one of the most in-demand (and therefore oversubscribed!) projects, it is a great example of the type of unique opportunity that The Cheltenham Educational Partnership – which is comprised of all the secondary schools in Cheltenham, both state and independent – can offer. Pleasingly this year, testimony to the current strength of the D&T Textiles program at school, Balcarras have been able to enter 3 teams.

This year the focus is: From Forgotten to Flourishing – Transforming Fashion Through Sustainability and Renewal. Over the course of the winter the students will be taking part in a number of workshops, hosted by different schools including Balcarras, each of which will look at a different element of the design process. This will all then culminate in a showcase next summer when the teams will introduce their designs by walking them down the catwalk.

And if the first workshop was anything to go by, it is going to be as fascinating as ever in terms of seeing what the students eventually design and make. The team from Superdry brought with them (as you can see from the photos!) lots of garments that are going to act as a starting point for the project. And you suspect that the insight the professional designers offered, into how to put sustainability right at the heart of the design process, will prove to be both influential and invaluable over the year.