AN arts project that used fashion to explore the history of the LGBT community culminated with a performance by students at Trowbridge Town Hall on Thursday.

More than 45 teenagers from Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge, Chippenham and Salisbury, aged 13-18, took part in the Heritage Lottery funded project, The Fabric of Life, which involved interactive performances, an exhibition, poetry, dance and artefacts, all focusing on gender and sexuality.

The project, which was organised by various Wiltshire LGBT Youth Groups across the county, was also a way of celebrating the 50th anniversary of decriminalising gay relationships between men over 21 in England and Wales.

"It was a really thought provoking and worthwhile thing to be involved with," said Trowbridge Cllr Phoebe Kemp.

"Throughout the year we had workshops where the students learned about how history and fashion have been intertwined over the years and how that has shaped society.

"They got to visit museums across Wiltshire as well as the fashion museum in Bath and London's Victoria and Albert Museum too to help with the project.

"Many of them learned how LGBT is not talked about much in history. An LGBT icon like Alan Turing is only ever talked about for codebreaking but that side is never talked about.

"The whole thing was really great fun and it was a pleasure to be part of."