Flamm Festival Ignites Bodmin's Art Scene with Contemporary Installations
The Cornish town of Bodmin, often overlooked by tourists and art enthusiasts in favor of coastal hubs like St Ives and Newlyn, is experiencing a cultural renaissance this weekend. The Flamm arts festival, whose name derives from the Cornish word for "flame" or "spark," is bringing a vibrant array of contemporary art to the peninsula's hinterland. This eclectic event aims to transform Bodmin into an unexpected art destination, challenging perceptions and fostering community engagement.
Diverse Artistic Highlights from Legends to Landscapes
Festival highlights showcase a rich tapestry of creativity. Rebecca Proctor's clay sculpture of jackdaws references the local legend of Rose Wright, a Bodmin jail inmate allegedly imprisoned for training birds to steal coins. A sound installation on a railway platform features an eerie conversation between two train workers, adding an auditory dimension to the experience. Meanwhile, a bright pink "walking sculpture" called Re:Rooted, created by artist Katie Etheridge with the youth group KBSK, parades through the streets, exploring themes of navigation and connection to place.
Artist Rachael Jones has partnered with Bodmin Keep, the town's military museum currently closed for repairs. She has blown up images of artifacts like a teddy bear carried by an American soldier in World War II and bullet casings carved into tiny artworks, displaying them around town to bring the collection to the public. Alice Mahoney's installation, Spout, features varied ceramics with drops of water falling from above, adding a sensory element to the festival.
Community Collaboration and Social Impact
Professional artists and curators from Cornwall and beyond have teamed up with amateur participants of all ages to curate this event. Organizer Fin Irwin emphasizes that while Bodmin has a long history, it is not typically associated with art and culture. The festival's ethos is to create high-quality contemporary work accessible to audiences who might not usually seek it out. Irwin notes that art can be a catalyst for social change, fostering community pride, shared purpose, and belonging, which in turn can drive economic and social growth.
Parts of Bodmin face deprivation, contrasting sharply with affluent nearby areas like Padstow and Rock. The festival includes pieces from the Liverpool Biennial 2025 and involves organizations like Counterpoints Arts, which uses culture to build a more compassionate society. Etheridge and KBSK have also produced an alternative map of Bodmin, highlighting cherished local spots such as a fried chicken shop and a tyre swing, offering a youth perspective on the town's landmarks.
Reassessing Bodmin's Cultural Potential
The festival encourages residents and visitors to see Bodmin in a new light. During a mapping session, a young participant remarked, "It's when you look at a map of Bodmin that you realize how much we've got." Jones adds that Bodmin has not received much attention over the years, but current developments make it an exciting place for artistic creation. The timing is poignant, as Storm Goretti's aftermath in January revealed uprooted trees across Cornwall, echoing themes of roots and connection in artworks like Re:Rooted.
Flamm takes place in Bodmin on Saturday, February 28, and Sunday, March 1, offering a unique opportunity to experience contemporary art in an unsung Cornish town. Through installations, sculptures, and community projects, the festival aims to spark lasting interest and transformation in Bodmin's cultural landscape.
