teaching practice

Why I Teach

We are living through a quiet revolution in the way we value the handmade. As the pace of the world accelerates, more and more people are turning back to craft, not as nostalgia, but as necessity. The ability to make something slowly, deliberately, and with your hands is increasingly understood as a radical and vital act.

But skills must be taught to survive. The techniques, traditions, and ways of thinking that textile and embroidery carry and built over centuries exist only as long as there are people willing to learn them and teachers willing to share them. That responsibility sits at the heart of Livia's teaching practice — and it is what drives every workshop, lecture, and mentoring session she offers.

  • Based in her Bloomsbury studio in the heart of London, Livia offers a curated programme of workshops. Rooted in the belief that embroidery is a powerful language of its own, she specialises in teaching creative embroidery as a tool for mark-making and storytelling. Drawing, felting, and technical workshops are also available for those wishing to deepen their textile practice.

    Livia is also available to be booked as a guest teacher, partnering with institutions and venues to craft bespoke workshops tailored to their community.

    Join the mailing list to be the first to hear about upcoming dates and new offerings.

  • Livia is available as a guest speaker for universities, textile groups, art panels, and industry events. She speaks on her artistic practice and process, embroidery as a tool for mark-making and storytelling, and careers in embroidery — offering audiences an insight into the breadth and depth of what a life in textiles can hold. Please get in touch to enquire about availability and fees.

  • Livia holds a Senior Lecturer position at the Royal School of Needlework, teaching on their BA Hand Embroidery degree programme. With extensive experience in higher education, she is also available as a visiting lecturer for textile and embroidery courses across the UK. Please enquire for availability.

  • Livia offers one-to-one mentoring sessions for students preparing to apply for higher education in textiles or embroidery, as well as emerging makers looking to develop their practice. Sessions are tailored to the individual, offering expert guidance on portfolio development, review, and project direction — helping students and makers present their work with confidence and clarity. Please get in touch to discuss availability and pricing.

  • Livia is available for one-to-one consultations for makers, designers, and creatives seeking expert guidance on a specific project. Whether you are developing a new body of work, exploring embroidery as part of a wider creative practice, or looking for a considered outside perspective, sessions are tailored to your needs. Please enquire for availability and fees.

Textile has been used for centuries to record tales, pass secret messages, support political activism, bring comfort, and protect — it is a material with power ingrained in its every fibre. This belief sits at the heart of Livia's teaching and community practice.

Alongside her work in higher education, Livia partners with community organisations, arts institutions, and public projects to create workshops and collaborative works that connect people to their voices, their wellbeing, and their stories.

If you have a community project you would like to develop in partnership with Livia, please get in touch.

Fields of Everywhen

2020-2022

COMMUNITY ART

Wimbledon X KLS

2023

soft ground

2022

“As a trained textile artist and skilled craftswoman, teaching is an integral part of my practice. I teach because I believe in the power of passing skills on in keeping the knowledge alive, and in watching others discover what their hands are capable of. Every workshop, lecture, and mentoring session is an opportunity to nurture the next generation of makers and to ensure that the craft of embroidery continues to flourish in the UK and beyond.”