Fabric of Life was a heritage project led by Wiltshire Youth Arts Partnership which aimed to explore LGBT and gender identity, through the lens of fashion and textiles.  Groups of young people went on research visits to local museums and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, followed by working with lead artists to explore dance, theatre or visual art and create a performance event to interpret LGBT heritage.

The evaluation concluded that Fabric of Life’s creative approach to interpretation was effective at engaging more people in heritage.  Young people and their communities appreciated the project for how it helped them personally, socially and as a community celebration of LBGT history and culture.

The project raised awareness amongst arts and heritage organisations of LGBT issues and helped them to be more inclusive of diverse audiences.  It enabled heritage collections to be used in different ways and has helped organisations identify how they might develop their collections in relation to LGBT history.

Photo by Laurence Dubé-Rushby