Young LGBT+ people are exploring the history of LGBT+ communities through the lens of fashion, visiting museums and archives to explore fashion in the past. The young people visited the Fashion Museum, Bath where they had the chance to try on costumes. Another group went to the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre to look at archives. More research trips are planned to include local museums in Chippenham and Trowbridge to investigate the local cloth manufacturing industry and see clothes held in the museum collections. A trip to London’s V&A museum will be a highlight of the project.

In July 1967, the Sexual Offences Act decriminalised gay relationships between men over 21 in England and Wales. It was a momentous, transformative moment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) community. On the 50th Anniversary we will look back at the history of LGBT+ communities through the lens of fashion. The project will create an education resource for use in schools around gender and sexuality and LGBT+ issues.

Once research visits are completed, the young people will work with a range of artists from dancers to textile artists and photographers to theatre practitioners. With these artists the young people will explore their research and express how they feel. This will culminate in a sharing event in November 2017.