A Decade of Fun: Communities Celebrate Creativity with Fun Palaces Across the UK

Fun Palaces 2024, held from 4-6 October, brought a burst of creativity across the UK, with over 2,300 organisers leading more than 140 events, attracting over 58,000 participants. From crafting giant football scarves to Jane Austen-inspired dancing, stage combat demonstrations, and making exploding paint bombs, Fun Palaces offered something for everyone. Libraries and community spaces from Aberdeen to Penzance, Portrush to Maidstone, were alive with activity.

A Cultural Celebration in Local Neighbourhoods

Fun Palaces is a year-round campaign culminating in an annual weekend that brings free cultural activities to the heart of communities. Since 2014, the campaign has seen around 900,000 participants involved in more than 2,700 Fun Palaces. The initiative promotes creativity, encouraging people to try new things and enjoy diverse cultural activities.

Fun Palaces Director, Amie Taylor, highlighted the importance of local communities leading the cultural charge: “Over the past 10 years Fun Palaces have seen incredible things happen, when local communities have come together time and time again to put on their own free, cultural events for their community, taking over venues including allotments, museums, libraries and community centres, showcasing the extraordinary talents of those already living and working locally.”

A Decade of Impact

The Fun Palaces movement was founded in honour of Joan Littlewood, a renowned theatre maker, whose 1960s vision, alongside architect Cedric Price, imagined a space where everyone could celebrate arts and sciences. The modern Fun Palaces began in 2014 to mark Littlewood’s centenary and have since continued the mission to make culture accessible to all.

Research shows the lasting positive effect Fun Palaces have had on communities. In the past three years, 76% of organisers (known as ‘Makers’) said their event opened new partnerships and opportunities for their community, while 75% believe their Fun Palaces helped make their area a better place to live.

One standout example comes from Truro. In 2018, Celine Elliot organised a Fun Palace at the Royal Cornwall Museum. Collaborating with the local library group, Material Girls, Celine arranged for the museum entrance to be ‘yarn bombed’ with a 120-foot scarf. This playful touch encouraged people to explore the museum in new ways. The leftover scarf was later donated to St Petrocs, a charity supporting people experiencing homelessness.

A Welcoming Space for All

In East Hertfordshire, Southern Maltings has hosted Fun Palaces since 2016, playing a vital role in the arts centre’s vision of being an inclusive and creative space. Fun Palaces are now an integral part of the venue’s efforts to inspire creativity among people of all ages and abilities.

For more information on Fun Palaces, visit funpalaces.co.uk.

Fun Palaces is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK. The fund supports communities to come together, be sustainable, and help young people thrive. National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes, enabling events like Fun Palaces to bring communities to life.