Frome misses out on UK Town of Culture shortlist

Frome has not been shortlisted for the UK Town of Culture competition, following an application made by the town council.

Earlier this year, the council applied for Frome to become the UK Town of Culture and receive funding to deliver a cultural programme. A total of 400 UK towns applied for the opportunity and 15 have been shortlisted.

However, Frome has not been included in the shortlist, which was published earlier this month.

Chair and Leader of Frome Town Council Cllr Fiona Barrows said, “We’re obviously disappointed at this news, although of course we send our congratulations to the towns who will now have opportunities to grow their cultural offering. We’re especially disappointed to note that there are no Somerset towns on the shortlist at all, which feels like a real missed opportunity. I’ll personally be cheering on Ilfracombe in Devon.

“We’re incredibly proud of Frome’s community of artists, writers, makers and creative organisations. One of the really positive outcomes of this process has been bringing together a strong group of cultural organisations, businesses and community groups from across Frome. It’s also highlighted a shared ambition to improve training and employment opportunities in the cultural sector, particularly for young people. We’ll be looking at how we can build on this energy and momentum over the coming months.”

The UK Town of Culture is a government initiative designed to celebrate the cultural contributions of towns and boost civic pride. The winner will be announced next year.