Linda Marie Young left De Montfort University in Leicester with a first class BA (Hons) in Mixed Media Textiles in 2007 and was accepted as a designer/maker member of Design Factory shortly afterwards.

Linda designs and makes beautiful printed paper and luxurious fabric hand stitched and cut boxes for interior decoration, indulgent gifts and to treasure keepsakes and memories in.

“Since joining Design Factory, it’s been non stop!” said Linda from her home studio in Leicester, “I have had a succession of exhibitions and shows that I have mainly found via Design Factory, through their private members-only shout outs and from their e-newsletter. For example, The Model House Gallery in Cardiff phoned me, as they had seen my profile on Design Factory’s website and asked me to have a solo exhibition with them starting in January 2010 - they even asked me to name the exhibition!”

 A collection of Linda’s work is currently stocked at the Victoria & Albert Museum Shop in London and she has just sent off her second replenishment order.

Her work was on display in the Hub: National Centre for Crafts & Design in Sleaford and as well as other group exhibitions, Linda also had a solo exhibition at East Midlands European Office Headquarters in Brussels.

“Design Factory constantly offers new opportunities,” Linda commented. “My solo show at EMEO Headquarters in Brussels was an exhibition arranged directly by Design Factory exclusively for its members. It’s great to be part of an organisation that is so highly respected and recognised, I get a real kick out of telling people that I’m a Design Factory member – they are always impressed!”

Last year, Linda was selected by The Arts Council to be one of 8 Regional Artist Advisors for the exciting Artists Taking The Lead project for the 2012 Olympics. Linda found this fantastic job opportunity through Design Factory: “The opportunities on Design Factory’s website are always bang up to date – there are jobs, exhibitions, commissions, news and more – I don’t have time to trawl through all the information I get every day in my inbox, so it’s great to be able to go onto Design Factory’s website and see the latest information right there on a daily basis.”

Linda has been awarded the 2009 Creative Leicestershire Development Bursary Award – securing £2,000 which she will put towards new professional photography of her work and updated promotional packages for her practice: “I was helped a lot by Design Factory with this award – there was an advert for an open night with Creative Leicestershire to explain the criteria for the Bursary Award and Design Factory also gave me help and advise with the application forms.”

The City Gallery in Leicester has selected Linda to exhibit a collection of her small and miniature boxes for their Christmas Show starting in September 2010.

Linda was also been selected for Lustre 2009 at Lakeside Arts in Nottingham last November and she loved displaying her Design Factory plaque on her stand alongside the other Design Factory members exhibiting. “When I walked around the exhibition in 2008 seeing all the plaques on the stands, I thought it looked really professional and gave a sense of a strong group presence at the show - I was delighted to join them in 2009!”