| Fun Palaces 2020 launch The seventh free annual weekend of action celebrating arts, culture, science and creativity in the heart of communities, made by and for communities, is now open for signupsThis year the weekend of action is 3rd and 4th October, across the UK and worldwideThe launch will open Fun Palaces’ new website for signups, share the 2019 evaluation and 2019 film of Fun Palaces Makers across the UK |
@funpalaces | #funpalaces | www.funpalaces.co.uk
Sharing skills, connecting communities, creating tiny revolutions
Fun Palaces supports communities to lead their own cultural community events, encouraging people throughout the UK and internationally to create a local Fun Palace, sharing the skills and passions of community members, whether they are experts or enthusiasts.
Since 2014 there have been 1758 Fun Palaces made by over 40,000 local people in 15 nations with over 560,000 people taking part. This October will be the seventh annual weekend and, year-on-year, Fun Palaces has widened the diversity and inclusivity of its events, welcoming a wider demographic to lead and join in local Fun Palaces. Supporting local people to lead by sharing their own skills is key to the campaign, giving neighbours a chance to meet up and learn from each other in relaxed, fun and often chaotic ways, creating tiny revolutions of community connection.
All Fun Palaces are free to visit and offer activities ranging from arts, crafts and heritage through to science, tech, digital and sports. There are no rules about what venues can or can’t become a Fun Palace. From the tiniest gazebo to the grandest public hall, forests and fields, what matters when it comes to making a Fun Palace is that community is genuinely at the heart of it.
Ambassadors Programme
In 2019, Fun Palaces was awarded National Lottery funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. Over a five-year period, the £1.5m grant will support the work of Fun Palaces Ambassadors in nine locations, working with local partner organisations.
Current Ambassadors continue their work in Cornwall at FEAST and Cornwall Museums Partnership, Sheffield at Sheffield Theatres and Scotland Central Belt at the Scottish Library and Information Council. They are joined by newly-appointed Ambassadors in Northern Ireland at Big Telly Theatre Company, North Wales at National Trust Wales, North of Scotland at Eden Court, Inverness.
In 2021 three new Ambassadors will join the programme in Rotherham at Rotherham Council, Devon at Libraries Unlimited, Gateshead at Sage Gateshead.
Fun Palaces Ambassadors are all local people, already working with their own communities. The funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, supports them to do even more on a local, grassroots basis. It further enables them to share and develop their learning between the cohort of Ambassadors, the individuals and communities with which they work, and more widely with the many other organisations like Fun Palaces, focused on community and cultural equality and inclusivity, who understand that local people are the heart of our campaign towards a cultural and community life that is truly inclusive and welcoming to all.
Quotes from new Fun Palaces partner organisations:
James Mackenzie-Blackman, CEO Eden Court, Inverness
“We’re thrilled to be a new Fun Palace’s partner enabling the communities of the Highlands, Islands and the North of Scotland to discover and celebrate their creativity, in all its forms. We can’t wait to get started.”
Pamela Tulloch, Chief Executive at the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC):
“Libraries are positioned at the heart of communities across Scotland, offering everyone equal access to an abundance of information and resources for education, cultural and social activities. Working with Fun Palaces is a perfect partnership to encourage and empower communities and individuals to improve local community life through culture and creativity.”
Frances Porter, General Manager Big Telly Theatre, Northern Ireland:
“Big Telly has hosted the NI Fun Palaces ambassador for just 4 months and Siobhan has made such great inroads and contacts with so many people here already. It’s a new concept for us here, but people have been so receptive and positive, we think it’s going to be a fantastic first year for new makers and Fun Palaces.”
Justin Albert, Director National Trust Wales:
“We are delighted to be hosting a Fun Palaces Ambassador in North Wales. In the year when we are celebrating our 125th anniversary this partnership provides a fantastic opportunity for National Trust Wales and our properties to explore cultural democracy and our role in the communities of North Wales. We are looking forward to collaborating with communities, Fun Palaces and the Ambassador to create something special so people can join up, share skills and have fun together.”
Fun Palaces Website │Twitter │Facebook │Instagram @funpalaces | #funpalaces | www.funpalaces.co.uk
Central Fun Palaces Team
Co-Director: Stella Duffy OBE Co-Director: Sarah-Jane Rawlings
Co-ordinator: Ravina Bajwa Producer: Kirsty Lothian
Communications: Daniel King