FROME Community Education has launched its new programme for the Autumn term with courses now available to book online or at the Cheese and Grain. Classes will once again be in person with a wide variety of courses spanning languages, local history, art and craft, exercise and wellbeing.
Sandy Usher, who chairs the group of volunteers that make up Frome Community Education, is delighted with the return of face-to-face classes, “After almost 18 months away, things are finally moving forwards!” she said. “The launch of our new brochure with a full complement of courses for September really signifies that Frome Comm Ed is back on track. Some classes are almost full already!”
In fact, Frome Community Education has been working hard over the Summer to expand not only its range of courses, but also its range of venues. In addition to classes at the Cheese and Grain, there will also be classes at Black Swan Arts and at the Avanti Park School on Park Road.
“We felt it was important to seek out venues that would enable students and tutors to feel comfortable and safe” explains Sandy, “The new venues have larger rooms and offer us more space which means that we can increase class sizes for our most popular courses and still allow people to socially distance.”
Comm Ed student, Elaine Enoizi, is looking forward to attending classes at one of the new venues, “I think being in a professional gallery setting at Black Swan Arts will add an extra dimension to this term’s Art History course on Post-Impressionism.”
Several tutors are making a welcome return this term with new courses. These include Greg Morter, whose evening course “The Human Story: from subsistence to global village” promises to give you a better grasp of the broad sweep and patterns of human history. Charles Prior’s “Interior Colour and Paint” will explore the impact of colour on interiors, whilst Woody River returns with “The international Art of the Short Story” and “The Poetry of W B Yeats.”
Steven Jenkins, a stalwart of Frome Comm Ed is back with “Linocuts – Beginners to Advanced” and Dawn Gorman is running “Positive Adventures in Creative Writing,” a course that encourages you to have fun, and feel empowered by using creative writing. Previously funded by Somerset Skills and Learning, Dawn’s courses are now available as leisure classes with generous concessions.
The Frome Community Pottery continues to flourish in its facilities at Frome College. A busy summer of classes finished with a series of short workshops and some “bench time” sessions (with potters doing their own thing with assistance and technical support). From September, the Pottery will be even busier with 11 classes a week and 4 different tutors, across both daytime and evening sessions.
Joining the Comm Ed team this term is Pia McGee as Programme Manager. After ten years of being organised by a small team of volunteers, FCE has finally employed someone part-time to run, and hopefully expand, their busy programme of courses. Known to many in Frome from her time running the Frome Food Assembly, Pia can’t wait to get started.
“I am really pleased to be joining Frome Comm Ed. It’s such a ‘Frome’ thing to have this high-quality level of adult education on offer organised through a not-for-profit social enterprise! With new venues starting next term, there is plenty of room to expand the programme even further and I am looking forward to the challenge.”
For further information on the range of courses offered, and to book, please visit the Frome Community Education website at www.fromecommed.org.uk. Alternatively, you can book in person at the Cheese and Grain box office or call them Mon-Sat 8am-8pm on 01373 455420. Bookings for the Pottery are via the Comm Ed website only. Brochures are available at the Cheese and Grain, Frome Library, and in a range of venues around town.
