Fun Palaces
Fun Palaces is an annual, free, nationwide celebration of culture at the heart of community, using arts, science, craft, tech, digital, heritage and sports activities as a catalyst for community engagement. This takes place over the first weekend in October every year. Fun Palaces are community events, created by and for local people. They are held in a variety of locations, ranging from libraries, shopping centers, schools, parks, village squares, community halls, swimming pools, etc. The original (never built) Fun Palace was the brainchild of celebrated theater director Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price.[1] Their never-realized vision was re-interpreted for the 21st century with the Fun Palaces campaign for cultural democracy, with community-led events in many locations. The first weekend of action took place in 2014, with 138 Fun Palaces taking place across the UK and internationally and in 2015 the number rose to 142, 292 Fun Palaces in 2016, and 362 in 2017.[2]
| Fun Palaces | |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | International |
| Inaugurated | October 2014 |
| Most recent | October 2016 |
| Website | www |
History
Joan Littlewood and the architect Cedric Price came up with the idea of the Fun Palace as one building in 1961. It was their dream to build a space where people in the community could come together to celebrate arts, science and culture.[3] Their original blueprint said:[3]
Choose what you want to do – or watch someone else doing it. Learn how to handle tools, paint, babies, machinery, or just listen to your favourite tune. Dance, talk or be lifted up to where you can see how other people make things work. Sit out over space with a drink and tune in to what's happening elsewhere in the city. Try starting a riot or beginning a painting – or just lie back and stare at the sky.
Inspiration for the idea came from traditional pleasure gardens and working men's institutes, which were very much for the community as a whole. They wanted to build a radical venue which was to be a "laboratory of fun" or a "university of the streets", where visitors could go along and enjoy performances, participate in arts and craft activities or just meet up and have fun. As a result, allowing culture, science and education to be available to people from all backgrounds.[4]
The palace was never built. Councils would not give the land, the permissions and the money just did not materialize. As such the Fun Palace became an unrealized dream. All this changed in 2013 when the first call for venues and organization to create their own Fun Palaces locally was suggested by Stella Duffy, co-founder (with Sarah-Jane Rawlings) of the Fun Palaces organization. On the 4th and 5th of October, hundreds of Fun Palaces, supported by the Fun Palaces organization, appeared across the UK and beyond. Instead of building new buildings, temporary 'pop-up' fun palaces, appeared in various venues and locations.[5]
During the first weekend, 138 venues and companies enlisted along with independent artists, scientists and community events organizers. Since then there have been annual weekends of action on the first weekend of October every year.
Manifesto
The Fun Palaces Manifesto is:[2]
We believe in the genius in everyone, in everyone an artist and everyone a scientist, and that creativity in community can change the world for the better. We believe we can do this together, locally, with radical fun – and that anyone, anywhere, can make a Fun Palace.
References
- Smith, Otto Saumarez (Mar 2017). "Anti-architecture". Apollo. 185 (651): 188–189.
- "Fun Palaces". Fun Palaces. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
- "Fun palaces: Joan Littlewood's dream to be realised 100 years after birth". The Guardian. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
- "Joan Littlewood's 'Fun Palace' idea realised 50 years on". BBC News. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
- "Fun palaces: Joan Littlewood's dream for culture gets second chance". The Guardian. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2016.