Supporting the local arts is something that I – and, by extension, LittlePod – have been doing for a long time now. This is a special year for the local arts in East Devon as we mark 20 years of the Farringdon Society of Arts. The LittlePod team and I are proud to be supporting our local arts scene once again in 2024…

There’s a great deal for us to celebrate!

Back in 2004, when this first began, few people in Farringdon used email. Not everyone owned a mobile phone. I had neither.

When I first had the idea of setting up a local arts society in Farringdon, I reached out to find all the talented folk in the village. In time, we formed a committee that would meet once a month in my dining room.

So much artistic talent in the village…

On that committee was Barnaby Edwards – an actor, writer, arts presenter, audiobook entrepreneur and so much more, the one person among us who had been on an arts society committee previously, and the designer of the FSA logo that we still use to this day; Alex Thompson, a fantastic cook and engineer, and a milliner with her own hat label, who was studying at the Chelsea College of Art; Alana Sayers, a talented textile artist who had studied at Camberwell College of Arts; Vivien Barnes, an architectural landscape designer, who ran her own business; and me, a former primary school teacher, who would go on to found LittlePod.

Looking back now, 20 years later, I find it hard to believe that I managed to gather such a creative bunch of people from such a tiny village in East Devon!

Right from the beginning, the FSA had a professional air about it. We created our first poster and reached out to others in the village, asking them to share their passions.

Local arts events aplenty…

We produced a programme of events, which we posted through every door in Farringdon. There were art talks and exhibitions, plays, concerts and other musical events. Once a month for five years, we hosted an acoustic café in the village hall. There were dinners and one-off events, as well as classes in painting, dancing, felt-making and more. Once, we had an artist-in-residence for a year, and a children’s artist-in-residence too. We even held our own two-day festival across the village.

In 2009, the Guide Dogs Association opened our art exhibition, as shown in this short film. Emma had performed in our production of The Burial at Thebes and Hazel Johnson, a student preparing to go to Camberwell School of Arts, painted her portrait. Hazel included Emma’s story in braille so it could be enjoyed by all.

As someone said on the film produced to celebrate the FSA’s second anniversary, ‘There are things going on in Farringdon that you would go to London for!’

In 2010, Arts & Health South West commissioned a report on arts in the community. The results were interesting, finding that in communities that had a cultural centre, people lived longer and experienced fewer mental health problems. The most astonishing thing was that these benefits applied to all – regardless of attendance or participation in events. The mere fact of the existence of the arts is enough.

Coming up this September…

I’m so pleased that – as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations – a special exhibition that tells the story of the FSA will take place in the Village Hall between September 16th and 22nd. The FSA’s artists (Allie Giles, Imogen Hallam and Dave Robinson) will showcase their work during this time. This will coincide with the return of Devon Open Studios to Farringdon.

Furthermore, I have reached out to some of those who have performed and exhibited during the FSA’s two decades. I’m delighted that many will return to the village to help us celebrate.

We have a fantastic programme, with music from the prize-winning classical guitarist Tom McLauchlan, drama from Philip Kingslan John and the Four of Swords theatre group, an animated screening from film-maker Daniel Loveday, and a talk from artist Sarah Gillard, who will be telling the story of her wonderful Liberty quilt.

For one night only, our acoustic café will return – with our former resident pianist Simon Bastone preparing to perform again. You can bring your own musical talent to share, on what promises to be a memorable evening. Our programme of events will come to a close on Sunday, September 22nd with a Tittle Tattle Teatime – an audience with the hilarious Sally Sedgman, an acclaimed after-dinner speaker and long-time LittlePod friend and ambassador, with a sumptuous tea provided by Vivien Barnes, ably assisted by Sheila Ogilvie.

Please help us to celebrate 20 years of community arts in Farringdon this September. Visit the FSA’s website or contact us here to find out more.