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You can’t speak of Somerset without referring almost immediately to the Glastonbury Festival. While the festival predominantly showcases bands and music, it also features dance, comedy, theatre, circus and cabaret among other artforms.

Glastonbury Festival

Somerset also has literary connections - both William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote while staying in Coleridge Cottage, Nether Stowey. Evelyn Waugh spent his last years in the village of Combe Florey and science-fiction writer, inventor, and futurist Arthur C. Clarke, most famous for his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, was from Minehead in Somerset.

Somerset Art Week promotes local artists’ work and is the area’s largest visual arts event. On show are paintings, pottery, ceramics, sculpture, glass and mixed media pieces.

There are several historical buildings in Somerset worth noting - Wells Cathedral, in the smallest city in England, and also castles in Taunton, Dunster and the ruined castle at Nunney, near Frome.

Made in England

Made in England is a joint partnership between Ö÷²¥´óÐã English Regions and Arts Council England to bring audiences and artists together in unique collaborations to provide exciting new cultural experiences.

It is a project dedicated to exploring how England – the place and the people - is expressed through creative and artistic forms.

Think about the Lake District - dramatic and elegant, the lush greens and icy blues depicting an unspoilt England. William Wordsworth was so inspired by the landscape he wrote poems, sonnets and ballads dedicated to it.

Non-traditional art is just as important to recognise - graffiti on the streets, estates built in the Sixties, and even regional accents. Does this architecture, history and culture inspire you to think of all things English?

If you’re bursting with enthusiasm at the thought of creating something - why don’t you see how you can get involved? Visit the main Made in England site to find out how you can get your creative juices flowing.