The winter weather may be turning people’s thoughts to the summer and, for many in Frome, the highlight of the summer is the Frome Festival.
This year the Festival runs from Friday 5th to Sunday 14th July, and plans are well under way for another exciting and diverse programme of events, including a celebration of a Frome institution known to many who grew up in the town.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of John Webb Singer. Singer’s metal casting factory was a familiar sight as one entered the Market Yard and looked across the river to the area now occupied by houses accessed from the Jenson Button Bridge. Singer’s first premises was a more modest shop in Market Place, which is now Eyetech opticians and, on the first floor, the office of the Frome Festival. The Singer’s inscription in the glass above the outer door can still be seen in faint outline.
Singer’s grew into a world-renowned “art metal works”, producing the castings for some familiar landmarks in London and around the world. In particular, the statue of Boudica on the Thames Embankment and the figure of Justice holding the scales above the Old Bailey, would have emerged from the factory to be waved off to the capital by crowds of townsfolk and over 700 employees.
The celebration of Singer’s has been initiated by Rook Lane Arts and is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. A number of activities have been planned to take place in and around the Festival period, including major exhibitions at Rook Lane and the Frome Museum.
Festival director Martin Dimery said, “I think this is one of the most exciting themes we’ve ever had in the Frome Festival. Singer’s produced works of great art, utilising the skills and craftsmanship of generations of local people. The events tied into this celebration, we hope, will have really wide appeal to residents and those from further afield. It brings together the elements of art and industry that typify this extraordinary town.”
The Frome Festival office is now busy receiving applications for those wishing to be involved in the 2019 festival. For further details, please contact the office on office@fromefestival.co.uk. The deadline is March 1st.
