Whanganui designer Matthew McIntyre Wilson and Dundee designer Hannah Sabapathy have been selected for a new international residency programme, strengthening ties between two UNESCO Cities of Design through ancestral textile practices.
The Textile Legacies programme will see the designers exchange cities in 2026, with Sabapathy arriving in Whanganui in March and Wilson departing for Dundee in April. The initiative marks the first formal creative exchange between the two cities since both achieved UNESCO City of Design status.
Selected by international and local panellists, the designers will each spend a month learning and sharing with the local design community, bringing unique cultural perspectives that will broaden creative practices in both cities.
Both Whanganui and Dundee have long-standing textile traditions that are powerful expressions of place-based cultural identity. The long-standing textile traditions of Whanganui and Dundee are powerful expressions of place-based cultural identity. Simultaneously, these histories also carry complex legacies — including the impacts of colonisation, war, and cultural suppression — which have shaped and, at times, disrupted cultural development. The resurgence of traditional textile techniques provides an opportunity for design heritage to shape contemporary identities and creative practices.
Matthew McIntyre Wilson is a Whanganui-based practitioner whose work intertwines Māori cultural practices, museological inquiry, and contemporary craft.
“This residency offers a rare opportunity to deepen my work in raranga whakairo (patterned weaving)”, says Wilson. “Engaging with early Māori textiles held in Scotland will strengthen my understanding of their histories and techniques, while the mātauranga (knowledge systems) and weaving practices I bring from Aotearoa (New Zealand) will add new perspectives to Dundee’s creative community.”
Hannah Sabapathy is a Dundee-based artist and researcher. Hannah trained as a printed textile designer and uses this knowledge to interrogate the power dynamics behind South Asian and British textile design history through pattern.
“I’m delighted to be participating in the Whanganui x Dundee: Textile Legacies residency!” says Sabapathy. “It will extend my work around the politics of pattern design, enabling me to explore the complexities of materiality in the context of Whanganui.”
The exchange, supported by local organisations such as Verdant Works and Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, reinforces both cities as leaders in heritage-led design innovation.
“This collaboration benefits both locations and demonstrates how smaller cities can lead in cultural diplomacy” says Emma Bugden, Focal Point at UNESCO City of Design Whanganui. “This is the value of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network offering knowledge transfer, collaborative projects, and international partnerships.”
“At UNESCO City of Design Dundee, we believe in the power of design and the essential place of designers in the life of our city.” says Lizzie Day, Project Coordinator at UNESCO City of Design Dundee. “We are very excited to welcome Matthew to Dundee in 2026 and for Dundee’s own Hannah Sabapathy to journey to New Zealand – we anticipate this project will spark deeper connections and we hope that long-term collaboration with Whanganui will emerge from this initial exchange.”
“Cultural exchange is at the heart of the British Council’s Connections Through Culture programme” says Natasha Beckman, Director at British Council New Zealand and the Pacific. “When designers share ancestral textile practices across cultures, they can preserve heritage while opening new creative possibilities. We hope this exchange between Matthew McIntyre Wilson and Hannah Sabapathy will create lasting connections between Whanganui and Dundee, help grow our creative industries, and enrich design practice in both UNESCO Cities of Design for years to come.”
The residency runs from March to April 2026, with outcomes to be shared publicly in both cities.
