Knowledge

Our courses blend hands-on training in traditional and contemporary textile techniques with theoretical classes exploring methodologies from African academics.
The foundation of our curriculum is built upon a deep reverence for ancestral knowledge and indigenous design methodology. Our theoretical components are not abstract principles but living frameworks that deconstruct and rebuild creative processes. We explore the logic, philosophy, and socio-cultural context embedded in textiles, moving beyond aesthetic patterns to understand their symbolic language. This is the “know your stories” in action.

In our practical modules, this intellectual grounding transforms into tangible skill. Whether mastering the geometric precision of Ndebele mural patterns, the symbolic colors of Zulu beadwork, or the structural techniques of West African weaving, students apply theoretical insight. The “craft the futures” emerges in our design studios, where students are challenged to innovate with these elements, pioneering new applications in fields like sustainable architecture or material science, ensuring traditions are not preserved as relics but activated as a dynamic resource for contemporary problem-solving.

Our pedagogical philosophy mirrors the wisdoms of the continent. We believe education is a dialogue across time, where one must first “go back and fetch” the wisdom of the past to build for the future. This is an act of decolonization in practice—peeling back non-indigenous layers to recenter African systems of knowledge and create authentic, forward-looking work. By blending heritage with innovation, we foster a unique creative development where every stitch, weave, and pattern becomes a conscious contribution to an evolving, self-determined narrative.