Frome is marking International Women’s Day (IWD) with events designed to entertain and bring people together, while opening up important conversations and raising awareness.
A regular feature of IWD in Frome is the annual ‘Lightning Talks’, taking place on Thursday 12 March at 7pm at The Cornerhouse. Submissions are now open for ideas for a 5-minute ‘lightning talk’ via the link at the foot of this article: open to anyone with an idea to share to ‘touch, move or inspire’ within the International Women’s Day theme for 2026: Give to Gain’.
On Saturday 7 March, Frome Town Council is welcoming Lu Featherstone, motivational speaker, influencer and performer to the Frome Saturday market, along with her 32-foot vintage American bus ‘Susie’, spreading the message of the vital positive role of male allyship, sharing information about Frome’s White Ribbon campaign and providing a space to chat, reflect and engage. Frome town councillors will also be available at the market on 7 March for their regular ‘meet the councillor’ session from 10am to 12pm.
On Sunday 8 March, the town council marks IWD 2026 with a free screening of the Emma Rice Company’s ‘Blue Beard’ at the Merlin at 7pm. There’s a suggested donation of £3, which will support women’s safety initiatives and White Ribbon activity in Frome. This critically acclaimed feminist reinterpretation of the French folktale explores themes of consent, violence and vengeance in the company’s signature style.
Lucy McMahon, a member of the town council’s White Ribbon steering group, said “We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Emma Rice Company for allowing us to screen Blue Beard for International Women’s Day – there’s nothing more powerful than a well-told story to start important conversations, and their generosity is truly in the spirit of this year’s IWD theme ‘Give to Gain’! We’re also excited to welcome Lu Featherstone back after her brilliant show at the Merlin in 2024 – and to hear what comes out of this year’s Lightning Talks! There are several other projects in the pipeline, as part of the council’s White Ribbon accreditation programme, including new activities with local schools, sports clubs and businesses throughout the coming months and the full implementation of the WalkSafe app’s ‘safety map’. Join us for this year’s IWD activities and find out more about how you can get involved with local action to make Frome a safer place for women and girls.”
International Women’s Day (IWD) is marked every year on 8 March and is a global event celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and girls. It is also a moment to reflect on the progress made towards gender equality — and the work that still needs to be done.
Apply to give a 5-minute Lightning Talk at bit.ly/lightning-talks-2026. Book a free ticket (suggested donation £3) to the screening of Blue Beard at The Merlin Theatre at bit.ly/blue-beard-iwd-26. Visit the Saturday market to see Lu in LuLand’s Self-Love Revolution tour bus outside the library from 10am to 3pm on Saturday 7th March.
