Students at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) are celebrating a suite of successes at this year’s Batsford Prize, a prestigious competition that recognises the best new artists from across the UK.
Organised by Batsford Books, one of the oldest independent publishers of art and culture books in the country, the Batsford Prize has been running since 2013. The annual competition recognises talented undergraduate and postgraduate art students across the UK and has been a launchpad for many artists, with recipients going on to publish books and work with high-profile clients.
The theme for the Batsford Prize 2025 was 'fun and play', and in the textiles category, Amber Moore's Crafting: The Cumbria Palette was declared the winner. Her creation is a collection of handcrafted textiles for a hotel interior, inspired by the Lake District's colours and materials.
Amber, a second-year student on the BA (Hons) Textiles Design course at AUB, comments on the win:
“Crafting the Cumbria Palette explores the playful combination of materials and colours that are associated with the Lake District’s landscapes. My theme translates weaves, digital print, laser cuts, crochet and knit into a collection for an interior hotel space, using British wool, slate, and wood. My concept was to capture the essence of the Lake District through hand-crafted textiles, highlighting its value and how its inclusion in interior spaces creates a fun and thoughtful atmosphere.
“Winning The Batsford Prize was such an honour, it meant a great deal knowing people had appreciated and understood the work I had created as much as I did. This was a great achievement, being the first contest I had entered, I only hope to try and achieve more as I progress into third year.”
A third-year student also from BA (Hons) Textiles Design, Isabella Sheridan, and an alumna, Cerys Watkins (now a student on AUB's MA Illustration course), were both runners-up in the same category. Their projects, Botswana Safari and Biomimicry respectively, were highly praised.
One of the Batsford Prize judges, Anne Kelly, textile artist and author, says, “As in previous years, I was blown away by the incredible depth and diversity of the entries in this category.”
Graduate work from the BA (Hons) Textiles Design course will be exhibited at the Undergraduate Summer Shows on AUB Campus from 10–21 July.
