Wednesday 16 September 2026
Library, Dyson Building, Imperial College London
South Kensington, London
About the Doctoral Consortium
The Textile Intersections 2026 Doctoral Consortium brings together doctoral researchers to explore Material Intelligence across textile design, technology, embodied practice, sustainability, craft, culture and material systems.
Structured as a collaborative research environment, the day combines participatory activities, thematic research clinics and collective roundtable discussions. Participants will share work in progress, receive focused feedback and consider how different research methods make material knowledge visible.
Programme
| 09:30–10:00 | Arrival, registration and coffee |
| 10:00–10:20 | Welcome and orientation Introduction to the aims and structure of the Doctoral Consortium and the day’s shared focus on Material Intelligence. |
| 10:20–11:00 | Opening workshop: Mapping Material Intelligence A participatory activity exploring how Material Intelligence emerges through material, technology, body and ecology. |
| 11:00–11:15 | Coffee break |
| 11:15–12:45 | Parallel thematic research clinics Focused doctoral research discussion and peer feedback across three themes: Material Intelligence as Embodied and Responsive Material Intelligence as Negotiated and Translated Material Intelligence as Ecological, Infrastructural and Collective |
| 12:45–13:45 | Lunch |
| 13:45–14:05 | Invited keynote |
| 14:05–14:40 | Thematic roundtables Participants return to their groups to consider what their research reveals about Material Intelligence. |
| 14:40–14:55 | Coffee break |
| 14:55–15:35 | Plenary roundtable I: What is Material Intelligence? The three thematic groups share insights, tensions and emerging questions. |
| 15:35–16:15 | Plenary roundtable II: How do we research Material Intelligence? A collective discussion of practice-based, embodied, scientific, participatory, computational and systems-oriented approaches. |
| 16:15–16:35 | Individual reflection Participants identify an insight, a question and a next step to take back into their doctoral research. |
| 16:35–16:50 | Closing plenary |
| 16:50–17:00 | Informal networking and transition |
Programme timings may be subject to minor adjustment.