The names of five artists from across the region who have been commissioned to create work for Babylon Gallery’s spring exhibition have been announced.

The new artworks will be created in response to a historical weather diary written in 1963 by Betty Mann, a lifelong resident of Soham.

Ely Standard: No Frost at Night promotional image.No Frost at Night promotional image. (Image: BG)

Some of these artworks will take their inspiration from The Big Freeze, a particularly treacherous weather event which occurred in 1963.

Visitors to the exhibition can expect to see variations on the winter landscape with abstract depictions of mist, frost, ice and snow.

Ely Standard: Work in progress by Mari French.Work in progress by Mari French. (Image: BG)

Amber Lawrence a sculptor, printmaker and installation artist, will be creating a sculptural representation of the temperature data recorded by Betty Mann, from each day of the year in 1963.

Eleanor Wood is producing a series of contemporary works on paper that respond abstractly to the age and feel of Betty Mann’s weather diary.

Ely Standard: Work in progress by Mark Tamer.Work in progress by Mark Tamer. (Image: BG)

Mari French, an abstract painter, will create a series of mixed-media artworks on panel responding to observations of winter through windows.

Mark Tamer, who is an experimental photographer, will be working with both analogue and digital mediums and will be presenting a visual interpretation of 30 days in January 2021 from his own diary as he records his vestibular migraine attacks that impact his everyday life.

Ely Standard: Work in progress by Eleanor Wood.Work in progress by Eleanor Wood. (Image: BG)

Simon Nunn, a filmmaker, will be contributing a video using archival footage of Soham and its surrounding fens landscape, combining past time festivities in the village with weather patterns shot digitally.

Mr Nunn said “The call-out for the No Frost at Night exhibition spoke to me as an artist, but also as a resident living in this extraordinary part of the country.

Ely Standard: Work in progress by Simon Nunn.Work in progress by Simon Nunn. (Image: BG)

“Betty’s diaries capture her unique weather reports, as well as offer us a viewpoint from which we can look to explore the societal changes in customs, our relationship with each other, and with the landscape.”

The exhibition will be curated by Sid White-Jones, as part of the Babylon Young Curators’ programme, in which young, aspiring creatives stage an exhibition with guidance from experienced mentors.

Ely Standard: Artist Amber Lawrence.Artist Amber Lawrence. (Image: BG)

He said: “On the surface, Betty Mann’s meticulous weather diary presents its readers with an uninterrupted insight into the weather patterns that were experienced by those living in The Fens in 1963.

“However, there is far more to be found hidden within its pages and artists Amber, Eleanor, Mari, Mark and Simon will each use their respective mediums to draw out these unique elements from within the historical record.”

Ely Standard: Self portrait by Mark Tamer.Self portrait by Mark Tamer. (Image: BG)

Alongside, revealing the five artists for 'No Frost at Night' exhibition, Babylon ARTS also announced that Central England Co-operative, who are opening a new store in Sutton shortly, have come onboard as new partner for the Babylon Young Curators project.

Claire Somerville, chief executive Babylon ARTS, said: "It's great to have the support of local businesses and we're delighted that Central England Co-operative have made a donation towards the two exhibitions that our young curators, Olu Taiwo and Sid White-Jones, are currently organising.

“We hope this may be the start of a positive relationship between our charity and this new local Co-operative store."

For more information, visit: www.babylonarts.org.uk