Place: UK
Timeframe: regularly every year (The first weekend of October every year)
Participants: communities, residents’ associations,
Goal: culture/skill sharing/ local networks
WHAT IS IT?
Fun palaces support local people to co-create their own cultural and community events, across the UK and worldwide, sharing and celebrating the genius in everyone.
It is an ongoing campaign for community at the heart of culture and culture at the heart of every community. The campaign is led by and for that community, and an annual Weekend of Celebration – arts, science, craft, tech, digital, heritage and sports events and activities. A Fun Palace is organized by local people for local people – e.g. a group of neighbours, a residents’ association or friends getting together. ‚Local‘ might also mean the stuff or the space in case of a venue, building or organisation. Palaces are about getting and acting together from whatever field of ‘culture’. Even though the weekend event is the highlight, the real Fun Palace is what the community does to make it happen. It’s the thinking and the linking during the planning that count. The event is meant for all ages.
On the first weekend of October every year, Fun Palaces supports the Weekend of Celebration. This weekend thousands of Fun Palace Makers across the UK and beyond run their Fun Palaces on a single weekend. The weekend puts people’s skills and competences in the foreground. Though, similar events can happen throughout the year.
Workshops and the Ambassadors Programme offered by Fun Palaces support communities to create by and for themselves; developing local networks, linking individuals and organisations, encouraging venues to co-create with local people, and helping small groups to shout about their value as grassroots community activists.
RECOMMENDATIONS
How they help to make it happen: delivered 13 free, online workshops including focused sessions on sustainable community events and on young people leading. Our Ambassadors worked in their areas to support Maker activity both on the weekend and year round. They provided free posters and postcards to Makers across the UK to advertise their Fun Palaces. They also had many one-to-one calls and liaised by email with makers to support with anything they needed in the lead up to the weekend.