Love Letters to Radstock is a socially engaged public art project, created in collaboration with Radstock Town Council, that aims to bring people together to celebrate this fascinating place, full of history, character and opportunity.

Over the past few weeks, our two artists, Ellie Shipman and Alicia Ridley, have been meeting and making art with a diverse group of Radstock residents, from children and young people at Radstock Museum, to the craft group of SWALLOW, to the elderly residents of Manor House Farm.

Ellie has been supporting and encouraging them to write love letters to the town; to the people, places and events that they love and have shaped them and their lives. These letters will form the basis of a Love Trail, where sentences, words and motifs taken from the letters will be displayed on aluminium panels around the town. It will be a beautiful, permanent work of art that people can enjoy for many years to come.

Alicia has been rustling up feathers that will adorn the wings of her Angel of Radstock. Participants have been inscribing the names of loved ones, people they admire and look up to, and indeed, patterns and designs inspired by the town. The angel will be installed on the front of the Community Hub as an enduring symbol of love, positivity and togetherness.

We will be celebrating the unveiling of the trail and the angel on the morning of Tuesday, 21st April, so do put it in your diary and come down and join us.

Morwhenna Woolcock