When Shelley Frost packed up her life in South Africa and moved to Dubai back in 1997, nobody could have predicted what the future would hold for her. A harpist by trade, the musician spent 10 years living and working in the UAE, immersed in the industry, all the while slowly realising that there was a gaping hole in the market that was practically begging to be filled. Now some 26 years since making the life-changing move, it’s fair to say that Frost is a true titan of the region’s live events scene.
Despite being the busy head of a thriving company, Frost has always found time to champion the underdog, placing a huge emphasis on developing the grassroots music scene in the region. What was abundantly clear from our meeting over some delicious non-alcoholic cocktails from TVM@TheFridge located in the industrial, yet uber-stylish warehouse space was that for Frost, this is about so much more than your average job. “That live aspect is something I love,” she mused. “There are so many different aspects to this job – from pitching, artist relations, rehearsing, client relations, and delivery, and they all take different skills. There’s never a dull moment.”
Here, the Director and Founder of The Fridge gives an in-depth insight into the ethos behind the company that over the past 16 years has become a Dubai institution, looks back on some of her favourite moments, and offers her thoughts on what could lie ahead for the company.
Photos: The Fridge
