Somerset Art Works, South Somerset District Council and Chard Town Council on behalf of a consortium of local partners, are delighted to reveal we have been awarded an £80,000 grant from Historic England as part of the Chard High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) to create and deliver community-led cultural activities on the high street over the next three years.

Today, Historic England announces that more than 60 High Streets Heritage Action Zones (HSHAZ) will receive substantial grants totalling £6 million going to local arts organisations to create and deliver community-led cultural activities on their high streets over the next three years.

This half term you can discover the answers together at Haynes International Motor Museum in the brand-new Williams F1: The Drivers and the Driven exhibition.

The Bishop’s Palace in Wells has announced the results of their extremely popular annual cygnet-naming competition, following the hatching of four beautiful cygnets in early May.

Glastonbury Abbey extends an invitation to the community to experience the abbey free as a "Member for a Day" on Sunday May 23rd.

Stavordale Priory Gardens, located in the heart of the Somerset countryside, will be opening exclusively in aid of Horatio’s Garden on Thursday 15th July from 2pm – 5pm.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, the award-winning feel good musical sensation, is thrilled that the UK tour will recommence in September 2021. West End star Layton Williams reprises the role of Jamie New. Straight from the West End, Shane Richie (I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, EastEnders) will play Hugo/Loco Chanelle from 1 September until 20 November with Roy Haylock, also known as his drag alter ego Bianca Del Rio, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, playing the role from 23 November until 8 January. Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street, Dinnerladies) also re-joins the cast to play Ray.

After just over a year the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) welcomed back our intrepid Young Rangers greeted by some of Mendip's finest weather, rain and fog! Due to lockdown and the circumstances of the last year the AONB Unit have been unable to run the Young Ranger sessions in person and doing their best to stay connected remotely. 

The South West Heritage Trust’s exhibition programme for 2021 explores the theme of ‘The Stories That Make Us’ – the many stories that define us as individuals and communities in a diverse and changing world. Exhibitions will take place at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton and Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury which reopen from 19 May.

Somerset Art Works and Visit Somerset have announced a collaboration that will increase exposure for the county’s artistic talent and stimulate increased business from visitors.