A TEXTILES support group from Peasedown St John will display its artwork at the Wells Art Contemporary (WAC) exhibition.

Thursday Threads are a group that meets regularly to support one another and work with textiles, and have been featured at the exhibition in previous years.

This year, they have an interactive artwork for the exhibition which features a huge heart shape constructed out of strips of Velcro on a canvas base.

WAC is a volunteer-led art exhibition that provides artists worldwide with the opportunity to showcase their work in Wells Cathedral.

They also works alongside local charities that support mental health and wellbeing, and the looking to have the resulting installations fit well within the exhibition.

Alongside Thursday Threads, there will be other groups taking part from across Somerset, such as the Balsam Centre from Wincanton, who are a charity that works holistically with people of all ages and circumstances to improve their health and wellbeing.

There will also be works from Acts of Random Kindness from Egwood, and Wells Mayor, along with Wells Skatepark CIC, is inviting artists to decorate and donate skate decks to raise funds for a new skatepark in the city.

Samantha Hickman, a therapist who works with Thursday Threads, said: “In recent months, the group has been making small fabric and felt hearts as tokens of emotional support, hand stitched with positive messages like ‘hope’, ‘smile’, ‘joy’, and ‘all waves pass’, etc.

“Visitors to the exhibition will be able to select one of the small hand stitched hearts that speaks to them and attach it to the canvas. Our previous installations have been really well received and engaged with by the public. It provides validation and visibility to the benefits of the group.”

Paddy O’Hagan, chair of WAC, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be hosted again by Wells Cathedral. It is a great privilege to be welcomed back. It is a truly magnificent setting for the exhibition which brings contemporary artists together from across the globe.

“Each year more and more people are involved with the WAC Community Projects, and it is no exaggeration to say that they have changed lives. WAC is extremely grateful for the donor directed support that it receives from Somerset Community Foundation which makes these projects possible.

“With the Gallery, the Installations and our Community Projects, this is an art exhibition unlike any other. I urge everyone to come and enjoy some of the finest work from around the world, right here in Wells.”

The exhibition features 93 different gallery works, along with 22 installations and four community projects on display at Wells Cathedral.

Visitors will be able to observe this artwork over the course of three and a half weeks, with the event taking place from Wednesday, October 8, to Saturday, November 1.

Attendees are encouraged to vote for the favourite piece at the exhibition, with numerous prizes on offer for outstanding works. This includes the People’s Choice Prize, which awards £500 to one artwork selected by visitors of the exhibition.