About
Photo|Frome is an independent festival of photography dedicated to showcasing and celebrating all levels of photographic endeavour from local, national, and international photographers. The inaugural festival in 2022 covered 7 venues, 75 photographers in solo or group shows, and received over 6,000 visitors. We had talks, workshops, portfolio review and started an annual monograph series. The 2023 edition had 15 venues, 175 photographers and over 500 photographs exhibited. We received over 13,000 visits.
Photo|Frome 2025 will run from 5 April – 27 April.
Join our mailing list to be kept up to date with what is planned.
There are three strands to the curation approach: Thought-provoking national and international work, photography showcasing the history of the southwest, and representation of regional photography.
We aim to fill the Frome community with photography rather than a purely galleried approach. We want Photo|Frome to put photography firmly on the map in the South West of the U.K. – and, eventually, make Frome a destination on the international photography circuit.
As a registered Community Interest Company (CIC 13912579), the involvement of local and regional student and community institutions is integral to Photo|Frome’s mission to help inspire the next generation of photographers. We also partner with many local businesses to help sustain the community.
Photo|Frome aims to support photographers from all backgrounds and to be as inclusive as possible. We acknowledge that there are many considerations around inclusivity, including race, religion or belief, gender and sexual orientation, age, disability, civil status, pregnancy and maternity/paternity rights. For a comprehensive look at our policies, terms and conditions, please visit this page.
In 2025, Photo|Frome is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, Our Official Sponsor is MPB, the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video gear.
Want to meet the team behind Photo|Frome?
Photo|Frome 2025 will run from 5 April – 27 April.
Photo|Frome is an inclusive festival of contemporary photography for anyone with an interest in the medium, whether they’re professional photographers, art lovers, students, or just looking to learn. It is a celebration of modern photography in all its glorious forms and genres, featuring serious work alongside fun activities, and catering to both young and were-young-once, those who have only just picked up a camera and those who’ve forgotten how long they’ve been holding one.
Photo|Frome is a community driven organisation with diverse activities appealing to all age groups. That said, in the proper representation of contemporary themes, some photography may include nudity and other work might include thought provoking and perhaps occasionally distressing adult documentary photoessays.
The theme of Photo|Frome 2022 was ‘The Independent Eye’. This celebrates photography as an art-form that stands alone from others. Photography offers artists a unique ability to present personal viewpoints and perspectives, reflections on the world, and new artistic and technical approaches. This also reflects Frome’s long-standing themes. ‘The Frome Independent’ market is the largest in the South West, and the town proudly has had an Independent Council since 2011 (‘flatpack democracy’).
The theme of Photo|Frome 2023 was ‘Decolonising Environments’ which explores the complex and often conflicting relationships between human communities, places, and the natural world. Encompassing a range of styles, subjects and genres, Photo|Frome invited photographers and audiences to contribute to discussions around the social and environmental impacts of longstanding political, cultural, and economic ideas about our world.
The theme of Photo|Frome 2025 is ‘inEquality’. Much as we would all wish otherwise, in some ways inequality is actually getting worse across the globe, reflecting conflict and climate-impacted displacement. And, despite progress, political, economic, gender-based and health inequality persists.
Frome
The annual Frome Festival of music, theatre, and arts has been very successfully established for two decades. Photo|Frome complements this with a dedicated, standalone photography-centric agenda, and partners with Frome Festival on many fronts.
Frome is a vibrant and engaged community, steeped in history and creativity. There are more listed buildings than any other town in Somerset, as well as a renowned thriving Arts and Crafts community. There is plenty to explore, including a museum, 17th and 18th century housing, shopping and more. There is the long-standing Frome Independent market every month, who we partner with on Faces of Frome. The town also has Arts & Crafts markets, numerous restaurants, artisan cafes, and has a thriving town centre of independent stores of all kinds.