Hundreds of ‘Fun Palaces’ will take place in towns and cities across the UK, from 4-6 October as the international movement marks its 10th anniversary. The annual celebration of culture sees local communities across London come together to create free cultural experiences and activities.
From hotels to town halls, libraries to theatres, community centres to art spaces; Fun Palaces will take place in the heart of local neighbourhoods. There are yoga classes in Sydenham and crafty workshops in Shoreditch; origami lessons in Hoxton, drama and comedy in Bethnal Green; pop-up storytelling performances in Limehouse and creative code in Greenwich; repair and upcycling classes in New Cross, creative arts and health project for men of colour with lived experience of life challenges in Brixton. With dozens more events uploaded daily, the annual weekend of diverse and unusual events, devised and created entirely by the public, will be a showcase of cultural expression and a celebration of the joy of creating.
Cllr Chris Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Culture, said: “Hoxton Fun Palace is set to be a vibrant showcase of local talent, offering a day filled with free activities for people of all ages. The council is delighted to be working with all of the organisations involved, who collectively aim to improve the wellbeing of local residents through cultural experiences in Hoxton. I hope as many residents as possible can come along to explore and enjoy the entertainment on offer.”
Stuart Cox, CEO of Hoxton Hall, said: “Fun Palace is such a great way to bring the community together through culture. We had so much fun delivering a Fun Palace at Hoxton Hall last year, but we are especially excited this year because we’ll be doing it in partnership with the wider community of Hoxton! Everyone is welcome and it will be a wonderful way to explore Hoxton through creativity!”
Fun Palaces Director, Amie Taylor, says: “Over the last ten years, more than 45,000 people have organised around 2,600 fantastic events across the UK attended by over 850,000 people. It’s that exciting time of year, where Fun Palaces pop up on the map all over to the UK. I was one of those people, having made Fun Palaces myself in previous years. It’s a moment for people to come together, and shout about the brilliance of their community and local area, creating free access to cultural participation, where people can connect, discover new and interesting creative opportunities and enjoy doing it all together – it’s a moment to say ‘culture belongs to all of us’. Each ‘Fun Palace’ is community led event that showcases the brilliance of those living in each local area and we’ve found that people are keen to share their skills, whether that’s junk modelling, dancing, sharing recipes or languages, DIY, singing or something else, all in the name of building community.”
Many Fun Palace venues work in partnership and collaborate with neighbouring organisations such as the Royal Academy of Art, Institute of Contemporary Arts, James Ross Hunter Youth Support, Sydenham Society, Sydenham Community Project, Sai Pathmanatham, Breaks & Joins each offering a chance for local people to benefit from the facilities and expertise at these larger scale organisations.
