How Dr Graham Clayton is helping the textile industry enjoy a bright future

The Society of Dyers and Colourists' (SDC) Chief Executive Dr Graham Clayton talks to Andrew Vaux about the charity’s support for the textile industry.

Sitting at his office desk on the edge of Bradford city centre, Dr Graham Clayton is surrounded by colourful objects and artefacts tracing back the city’s colourful textile past.

Along with his colleagues, he has the mammoth and unenviable task of logging and archiving them so that they can be protected and enjoyed by future generations.

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He recently came across a notebook which has meticulously hand-drawn textile images on a page dated 22 October 1774.

The Society of Dyers and Colourists' (SDC) Chief Executive Dr Graham Clayton talks to Andrew Vaux about the charity’s support for the textile industry.The Society of Dyers and Colourists' (SDC) Chief Executive Dr Graham Clayton talks to Andrew Vaux about the charity’s support for the textile industry.
The Society of Dyers and Colourists' (SDC) Chief Executive Dr Graham Clayton talks to Andrew Vaux about the charity’s support for the textile industry.

Elsewhere, there’s what’s believed to be one of the earliest samples of textile design created by British textile designer and socialist activist William Morris – a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production, and whose works are returning to fashion today.

In his role as Chief Executive of the Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC), Graham’s passion for the textile industry is evident for all to see.

He comments: “There’s absolutely no doubt that the textile industry plays an extremely important role in our industrial heritage and there are so many interesting and exciting aspects to it.

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“As different textiles became developed over the years, dyeing and colouring obviously played a major part in this. There’s still so much knowledge and expertise encapsulated in this area that we want to share it.”

So, what exactly does the SDC do?

Graham explains: “Our vision is to be the outstanding provider of education and community engagement for those studying and working with colour.

“We’re an educational charity offering courses and qualifications in colour, especially in textiles. We’re also a global membership organisation and a centre for networking and community engagement.

“Put quite simply, we provide the opportunity for lifelong career development for those working with colour.”

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In keeping with its textile education, the SDC is based in Perkin House in Bradford. Sir William Henry Perkin (12 March 1838 – 14 July 1907) was a British chemist and entrepreneur best known for his discovery of the first commercial synthetic organic dye, mauveine, made from aniline. Though he failed in trying to synthesise quinine for the treatment of malaria, he became successful in the field of dyes after his first discovery at the age of 18.

The SDC is the world’s go-to provider of technical colour education, offering a range of internationally-recognised coloration courses and qualifications.

Founded in 1884, the SDC became a registered charity in 1962, and was awarded a Royal Charter in 1963. It remains the only organisation in the world able to award the Chartered Colourist (CCol) status to experienced dyers and colourists. Graham explains the SDC’s educational programme.

He says: “We want to become the outstanding provider of colour education with internationally-recognised colour courses and qualifications. Our unique Colour Education Pathway starts with further and higher education and spans all career stages for the technical and design sectors. The pathway is overseen by our Education, Qualifications and Accreditation Board (EQAB).

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“At the heart of the teaching is our online learning platform, colour.network. This modular based approach allows people to tailor their learning, depending on their career stage and interests. All our courses are developed by a team of experienced, passionate educators, resulting in high impact, immersive learning.”

The one-year Foundation Textile Coloration Certificate (FTCC) course introduces textile dyeing chemistry and is the ideal preparation required to progress to the Textile Coloration Certificate.

The Textile Coloration Certificate (TCC) educates people from a diverse range of textile organisations. This two-year course focuses on the fundamental processes and scientific principles behind the coloration of textiles - enabling students to take a more active role in the workplace and develop the skills required in industry. It also provides a progression pathway to the ASDC.

Taught online via SDC’s colour.network, the ASDC is a four-year course leading to a degree level qualification. SDC has members in almost 40 countries worldwide, from textile artists to designers and colour technologists to educators.

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Graham explains the benefits of membership. He says: “Wherever you are in your career, SDC can help you with your journey, whether it’s through sharing knowledge, bringing the right people together or providing practical advice.

“Our members benefit from access to a wide range of specialist colour resources; the opportunity to meet other colour professionals and share knowledge and ideas; and career development achieved through training, qualifications, and continuous professional development.”

“To continue flying the flag for the textile industry, one of our main aims must be to grow our global membership base and engage more students on our education programme.

“We’ve obviously got the City of Culture coming up, and with textiles being such a part of the city’s heritage, we look forward to working closely with the organisers to plan and deliver this important celebration.”

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