Discover the Royal School of Needlework and explore the fascinating world of embroidery, its history and the stories behind the stitches.
The RSN Talks series brings together leading voices from across the worlds of embroidery, textiles, embellishment and historic handcrafts. Celebrating the work of experts in their fields, our talks offer a unique opportunity to discover the stories behind their work and gain insight into their specialist knowledge and experience.
Unless otherwise stated in the individual talk description, all RSN Talks are delivered live online via Zoom, allowing you to join us from wherever you are.
18th November 2026 - 7:00pm
Art historian Jacqui Ansell has an M.A. In History of Dress from the Courtauld (where she studied under Professor Aileen Ribeiro). Formerly a Senior Lecturer at Christie's she has also worked as head of contextual studies for a stitched textile de...
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25th November 2026 - 7:00pm
The Liberty Scarf is a captivating tribute to one of fashion’s most enduring luxury accessories, celebrating its rich heritage and exquisite artistry. From the early 1900s, when silk scarves were first printed at Liberty’s own printworks in London...
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9th December 2026 - 7:00pm
Women Textile Designers features printed, woven and embroidered fabrics by some of the world's most accomplished designers. created for public spaces, furnishings, fashion and theatre. Illustrated with a wealth of weaves, prints, textures and patt...
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13th January 2027 - 7:00pm
In this talk Isabella Rosner and Vicky Bevan, the RSN's Curators of Textiles and Designs and Archives and the co-curators of the upcoming exhibition Nature's Fragile Threads, will delve into the exhibition and the pieces within it. The free exhibi...
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3rd February 2027 - 7:00pm
The RSN's Chief Executive, Rhian Harris, will be interviewed by Curator of Textiles Dr Isabella Rosner. The two will discuss Rhian's career journey, her vision for the Royal School of Needlework and some of her favourite historical artworks in the...
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10th February 2027 - 7:00pm
In this talk, the Project Curator of the exhibition, Dr Millie Horton-Insch, will outline the history of the Tapestry and reflect on the process of curating this historic show. Dr Millie Horton-Insch is an art historian and a specialist in early m...
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24th February 2027 - 7:00pm
What if a walk in forest led to a whole new career path? Amanda Cobbett trained as a printed textile designer but a move to the countryside 20 years ago changed her focus from fast fashion to slow textiles. Concerned for species that we might be i...
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17th March 2027 - 7:00pm
What does it mean to dedicate a whole working life to embroidery, and to do it in more than one way? In this talk, embroidery designer and historian Nadia Albertini reflects on a career spent entirely in the world of embroidery, moving between ver...
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24th March 2027 - 7:00pm
Olga Prinku initiated the idea of embroidering with dried flowers in 2016, and has since developed a variety of techniques for combining tulle fabric with a wide range of dried and preserved organic materials, from flowers to foliage, grasses, ber...
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31st March 2027 - 7:00pm
Join textile artist and sculptor Mia Sylvia Herrod as she reflects on over a decade of creative exploration, tracing her journey from the earliest beginnings of her practice to building an internationally recognised creative business. Mia will sha...
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7th April 2027 - 7:00pm
Join lettering artist and banner maker Alice Gabb for a fascinating exploration of the history of radical banner design and its role in social movements throughout history. Drawing on examples that have inspired and shaped her own creative practic...
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14th April 2027 - 7:00pm
Peter Bellerby is the founder of Bellerby & Co Globemakers, a company renowned for its exquisite, hand-crafted globes. His journey began as a hobby, sparked by a lifelong love for geography and a search for the perfect 80th birthday gift for h...
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21st April 2027 - 7:00pm
Step inside the world of luxury fashion embroidery for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the artistry, craftsmanship and creative processes that bring an embroidered design from initial concept to the runway. Drawing on 15 years of exper...
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5th May 2027 - 7:00pm
This talk will explore how Sow Studio has evolved from gaining experience within other embroidery studios to establishing an independent practice and building its own client base. It will cover the early stages of setting up the studio, the exper...
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12th May 2027 - 7:00pm
What can a historic textile teach us, and what happens when an old technique is given a new purpose? Textile and print designer Charlotte Gaunt, founder of Rediscovered By, explores these questions through her work with archives, historic interior...
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19th May 2027 - 7:00pm
Julie’s talk takes the listener through her exploration of stitch, explaining how she uses thread to develop her own way of making to enable her to navigate traumatic loss. Whilst the talk does cover the subject of loss through suicide, it encapsu...
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26th May 2027 - 7:00pm
Embroidery has the power to transform a garment into a work of art, combining exceptional craftsmanship, artistic vision and technical innovation. In this talk, Jessica Pile explores the fascinating world of couture embroidery, drawing inspiration...
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2nd June 2027 - 7:00pm
In this online talk for the Royal School of Needlework, Embroidery and Textile designer Sophie Boylan will discuss her journey from studying embroidery to establishing her practice as a freelance designer, exploring the experiences, techniques and...
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9th June 2027 - 7:00pm
For contemporary embroidery artist Hanny Newton, materials have always been at the heart of her practice. From the rich world of goldwork to her current exploration of straw embroidery, Hanny’s work is driven by a curiosity about what materials ca...
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17th June 2027 - 7:00pm
What happens when you set out to make cross stitch patterns and end up becoming Mr X Stitch? In The Mr X Stitch Guide to Life, Jamie Chalmers shares 13 thoughts on a creative career, drawn from his adventures in contemporary embroidery and th...
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23rd June 2027 - 7:00pm
After training at the Royal School of Needlework, Hattie McGill went on to work as a freelance embroiderer in film and television, contributing to productions including Doctor Strange, Bridgerton and Wicked. Alongside this, she has built her own e...
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30th June 2027 - 7:00pm
Since graduating from the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) in 2014, Harriet's career has taken her from establishing her own embroidery business in London and collaborating with leading fashion houses, to working internationally in craft, design a...
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7th July 2027 - 7:00pm
During the talk Joe will outline his career journey so far, including everything from how he accidentally found tailoring as a vocation to some of his career highlights dressing some remarkable people. He will also focus on key elements of the bes...
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14th July 2027 - 7:00pm
Phillipa Lepley is a British couturier and the founder and Creative Director of her eponymous London couture house, established in 1986. For four decades, she has been recognised internationally for bespoke wedding dresses and eveningwear, creatin...
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21st July 2027 - 7:00pm
Join us for an inspiring talk with Vicky Gill, who will share insights from her 30 years of experience in costume and embellishment design across fashion, television, theatre and live events. Vicky will take us on a journey through her career, exp...
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4th August 2027 - 7:00pm
In this talk Ninya Mikhaila tells the story of how she came to work in such a niche area of costume making. From a love of history, and a family background in tailoring and textiles, through a discovery of living history and study at The London C...
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1st September 2027 - 7:00pm
Eleri’s talk will focus on her first acquisition for Historic Royal Palaces, that of a 16th century silk hat known as the ‘Bristowe’ hat, said to have given to one Nicholas Bristowe by Henry VIII himself after the Siege of Boulogne. The provenance...
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8th September 2027 - 7:00pm
Rethinking Embroidery: Stitch, Wellbeing and Community What can embroidery offer beyond the creation of a beautiful object? How can stitch help us express difficult experiences, connect with others and build a sense of belonging? In this talk, emb...
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15th September 2027 - 7:00pm
Jordan Cunliffe is a textile artist specialising in data visualisation. Her background is in hand embroidery, an interest from childhood which was honed during a BA in embroidery and an MA in textiles. The data visualisation influence came about d...
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29th September 2027 - 7:00pm
Belongings started life in 2024 when the political rhetoric about migration degenerated into dehumanising language. Artist Susan Aldworth is a third generation Italian, and wanted to make an artwork which challenged these negative narratives about...
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20th October 2027 - 7:00pm
In this talk, Richard reflects on hand embroidery as a way of making time visible. Drawing on works from his practice, he explores how repeated, slow marks can record duration, presence and the body at work, with each stitch acting as a unit of ti...
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27th October 2027 - 7:00pm
Hannah Mansfield has been working as a freelance embroiderer for close to a decade, this talk will focus on Hannah’s journey as a professional hand embroiderer, how her work has developed in this time, feature the highlights of her career and serv...
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24th November 2027 - 7:00pm
In this talk, Michele Carragher explores the art of embroidery on costumes for film and television, and the vital role it plays in bringing characters to life on screen. Guided by the costume designer’s vision, creating embroidery for costumes is ...
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30th November 2027 - 7:00pm
For centuries, embroidery has helped soldiers express who they are, where they belong and whom they serve. From Colours carried into battle to the badges worn on modern uniforms, embroidered textiles tell a story of military service, shared tradit...
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1st December 2027 - 7:00pm
In this evening lecture, Andrew Graham-Dixon discusses textiles and drapery as analogues for the motions of the soul in some Old Master pictures. Born in London in 1960, Andrew Graham-Dixon is one of the leading art critics and presenters of arts ...
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8th December 2027 - 7:00pm
“It was easy because it was fun” - Diana (Year 5) In Summer Term 2024 Celia Pym taught the whole of Surrey Square Primary School in Southwark, Central London, how to darn a sock. All the children from Nursery Class (the four-year-olds) to Year 6 (...
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