Bringing pedal-powered cinema to Frome

Open air cinema under the stars is coming to Frome – entirely powered by bicycles! 

The pedal-powered film showing on Saturday 18th July in Victoria Park will be the first of its kind in Frome and will raise money for Frome’s Missing Link cycle path.

Tickets are going on sale now through the Crowdfunder website, which can also accept donations. When enough tickets have been sold to make sure the event is fully funded and can go ahead, tickets will also be made available through local outlets, including Frome Wholefoods.

Mayor Kate Bielby has offered to start the bikes – and join the pedalling to power the cinema. A movie has not been selected yet, but organisers are considering a number of U and PG rated movies for a fun and family-friendly evening.

The main movie will show at 9pm, as dusk falls, but a children’s viewing in a tent is also scheduled for 6pm (tickets to be bought on the night for £3 each) to allow younger children to enjoy the experience as well.  There will also be snacks and drinks available, a raffle, souvenir items to buy and a number of other fundraising activities.

People can also add a little luxury to the occasion by pledging for added extras with their tickets on Crowdfunder, including hay bales to sit on, a tiffin box (with Lungi Babas’ goodies inside) and more. See the Crowdfunder page at www.crowdfunder.co. uk/pedal-powered-cinema-for-frome for full details.

Everyone is welcome to bring their own picnics and blankets too. Plans are being put in place for an indoor showing in the event of wet weather (although the children’s showing at 6.00pm would probably have to be cancelled).

Helen Johnstone, a director of Sustainable Frome said, “The cycle path is so important for helping children to get into cycling, as well as encouraging adults who are put off by the dangers of cycling on the roads.

“We really hope people will support this idea by buying a ticket – or making a donation – so that we can enjoy a fun evening in the park, at the same time as helping to make the path a reality.”

Sustainable Frome is organising the event to help build the next phase of the cycle path, which will ultimately create a traffic-free route from the very centre of Frome to the Sustrans Colliers Way cycle path, which leads to Radstock. At the moment, the route ends at Great Elm and cyclists have to use local roads to get into Frome.

The path, which has recently been extended from Welshmill towards Great Elm, will be a fantastic safe way for people to scoot, rollerskate, run, walk and cycle in the town.

Frome’s Missing Link team is supporting the film showing, and help has been offered by 1st and 7th Frome Cub Scouts, the Frome Film Club and Frome Town Council. News about the event will be made available on the Sustainable Frome website at www.sustainablefrome.org.uk as well as through Facebook, Twitter and press releases.