Frome Festival is launching a ‘Make Frome Knit Again!’ competition that seeks to decorate the public spaces of Frome for the duration of the festival from 4th to 13th July.
The competition ties in with the festival’s theme this year celebrating the town’s rich heritage in the textile industry.
Referred to as ‘yarn bombing’ or ‘guerrilla knitting’, and often seen on post boxes, this activity is designed to put a smile on people’s faces and bring the community together. Members of the public are asked to knit, crochet, stitch or tastefully drape landmarks, windows or any other objects to brighten up the town.
Festival manager Sarah Swales said, “We would love people to think outside of the (post)box.
“Perhaps they could crochet flowers around a door frame or even display a textile creation inside their street-facing window? Shops could become involved as well, however big or small their window display would be.”
The competition is free to enter with prizes sponsored by Frome’s Bath Theatrical and photographer Celie Nigoumi.
First prize: A costumed photo shoot for two people at Bath Theatrical in Frome with Celie Nigoumi Photo (value £500).
Two runners-up: A £70 voucher each for Bath Theatrical to be redeemed against any services or experiences, including: The Regency Experience, Fancy D-Stress, costume hire or photo studio hire.
Bath Theatrical in Wallbridge, holding 30,000 costumes, is located on the site of the last working textile factory in Frome, Tucker’s Mill, which closed its doors in 1965.
The remaining façade of the mill features on the cover of this year’s Frome Festival brochure and serves as a symbol of Frome’s past and creative present. Frome was known for textiles as early as 1349 with its access to the river for vital processes such as dyeing and nearby grazing fields for sheep.
The cloth industry’s legacy can be found all over town in its architecture and street names. The Silk Mill was last used as a textile mill one hundred years ago, closing in 1926, and is now a hub for creatives housing many artist and maker studios, as well as a vibrant event space.
This year’s Frome Festival includes many textile-related events and exhibitions, some using the ancient processes such as weaving and woad dyeing and others with a totally new spin. These include workshops, history walks, an Augmented Reality (AR) quest, children’s play, film screening, fashion show, themed ghost tour and even a comedy silent disco.
Detailed descriptions are available in the festival brochure and online.
More information on the ‘Make Frome Knit Again!’ competition can be found on https://fromefestival.co.uk/makefromeknitagain/
Frome Festival takes place between 4th to 13th July 2025, and tickets are now on sale through the Frome Festival website and in person at the Cheese and Grain box office.