Mrs Caroline Devonport
School of Arts, Media and Creative Technologies
Current positions
Academic Fellow in Costume Design
Biography
Caroline is a Teaching Fellow on the BA Costume Design programme. Alongside her role in higher education, she has experience teaching in Further Education (FE) at a specialist post-16 college, as well as in adult education. Her background includes working with adults with learning disabilities, supporting their learning and development.
Prior to her work in education, Caroline was employed in the Early Years sector, gaining valuable insight into child development and foundational learning. She also has extensive experience training both adults and young people aged 8–18 within volunteer uniformed youth organisations. Delivering BTEC Public Services to young people and Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. In these roles, she provided leadership, mentoring, and skills development, fostering personal growth and confidence in those she worked with.
While studying at the University of Huddersfield, Caroline was actively involved in student representation and advocacy. She held a liberation network role within the Huddersfield Students’ Union, leading the Class and Social Mobility Network, where she worked to promote inclusivity and support for students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
In addition to her Student Union role, Caroline volunteered in several capacities, including as a facilitator for the Global Professional Award (GPA), a programme designed to enhance students’ employability and professional skills. It was during this time that she developed a strong interest in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in areas relating to education, equality, and social mobility.
Caroline is passionate about creating accessible learning environments and is committed to fostering opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds to thrive in education and beyond.
Areas of Research
My research interests centre primarily on historical uniforms and clothing, with a particular focus on Royal Navy uniforms, women's uniforms, and the evolving design of children's wear. I am especially interested in how uniform dress codes reflected and reinforced gender roles across different historical periods, including the eighteenth century. My work also explores more specialised areas such as submarine patrol flags and the material culture of historical sex work, examining how clothing functioned as both a marker of identity and a tool of regulation. By tracing these threads, I aim to uncover how dress and uniform intersect with broader social, cultural, and gendered narratives.
BA Costume Design
Qualifications
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History
2026 -
Higher Education
2025 -
Fashion and Textiles
2022 - 2025 -
Costume with Textiles
2018 - 2022