The aim of the Spinning a Yarn – Take Part programme has been to inspire as many people as possible to get ‘hands-on’ with wonderful Wool – a natural, renewable, biodegradable and adaptable craft material.
Eight artists have delivered 40 workshops across 17 settings, with an amazing 470 community participations!

Bringing her own flair to the Wool craft activities developed by Lydia Needle and Nina Gronw-Lewis, artist Luan MacDonald joined Spinning a Yarn back in April 2024. Luan worked closely with the Somerset Diverse Communities team at the CCS, offering workshops at Conversation Clubs, in Glastonbury, Yeovil, Taunton and Bridgwater.

“Working with the Conversation Clubs was an incredible and humbling experience. Women from all over the world; including Pakistan, Brazil, France, Tunisia and Turkey, who had come together at these gatherings to better improve their English language skills and in turn their ability to participate more ably within the wider community. They were all so positive and eager to learn; engaging enthusiastically with whatever was presented to them, including the workshops that were offered by Somerset Art Works. All of them kindly agreeing to donate their pieces to Somerset Art Works when asked, excited in the knowledge that their creations would be viewed, as part of the community art work at the Somerset Rural Life Museum.” _{Luan MacDonald}

Luan also led workshops at the multicultural Together Events in Yeovil, Taunton, Wellington and Bridgwater. Together Events saw younger participants take part, some as young as 7. It was fascinating watching them take to the process so confidently. Unphased, they needle felted some beautiful artworks, some of which were the most imaginative works done. Luan chose to focus specifically on needle felting for drop in sessions as it proved to be the most accessible technique for people who had no previous experience in crafting with this material. 

We loved being part of these vibrant community celebrations of diversity in Somerset, it was great to see so many different people sit together, to make, to talk, to take part in the connected, sensory and mindful process of making.

Over the August summer holidays, we worked in partnership with Somerset Libraries and were able to offer free community workshops in four locations around the county: at Priorswood, Chard, Minehead and Glastonbury Libraries. The uptake was fantastic, with all the workshops fully booked by enthusiastic crafters. The otters that  were needle felted proved very popular; each one seeming to have it’s own unique personality. Throughout the workshops, we created a cornucopia of flora and fauna; damselflies, dormice, large blues, blue bells, otters and ferns, many of which adorned the community art work display. 

Artworks were kindly shared by many of the participants for the beautiful, collaborative community artwork, a large wall hanging incorporating over 90 unique and individual works, as part of the Spinning a Yarn exhibition at Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury, sitting alongside work by internationally renowned textile artists based in Somerset.

Women from the Yeovil, Glastonbury and Bridgwater Conversation clubs attended the Spinning a Yarn exhibition viewing. Those whose work was part of the display were really pleased to see the resulting work and to have it displayed alongside professional artists and proudly pointed them out to the others in the group. The group was very interested in the displayed artefacts, commenting on the similarity to textile tools used by their grandmothers in Turkey and Pakistan, that they remember seeing when they were young. They were awed by Nicola Turner’s raw wool installation. They found her work powerful, architectural and feminine.

“The past 6 months have been an amazing journey for all involved. The participants engaged so positively with the opportunity to create, using a medium that many were unfamiliar with. The vast majority surprising themselves with their own untapped creativity, expressing wonder at their skills and enthusiastically expressing a desire to continue crafting with natural wool.” _{Luan MacDonald}

Spinning a Yarn – Telling the story of Wool in Somerset
A Somerset Art Works project in partnership with South West Heritage Trust
Supported by Arts Council England and the Medlock Charitable Trust