Ellie Allen was the Fun Palaces Ambassador, hosted by FEAST in Redruth from 2022-2025 and has also made her own Fun Palaces, which have included a Grease sing-a-long in a church, to the ‘Getting ready to go out together’ Fun Palace to hosting a boardgames Fun Palace at St Rumons. As we launch Fun Palaces 2026, Ellie, now a town councillor, reflects on Fun Palaces, citizenship and the genius in everyone.

A bit over two years ago I left the financial sector and threw myself head-first into the world of creativity and culture.

I won’t sugar-coat it, it’s a bit of a shock to the system. The pay isn’t great, most jobs aren’t full-time, and suddenly everything feels a bit… uncertain. But, you do get that warm, fuzzy feeling from doing something that actually matters (even if the bills don’t always agree).

Pretty early on, I stumbled into the world of Fun Palaces. They welcomed me in as an ambassador and, honestly, it felt like finding a tribe I didn’t know I was missing.

So, what is a Fun Palace?

It started back in 1961 with theatre legend Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price. The idea was a “laboratory of fun” or a “university of the streets” a space where people could come together to share skills, learn from each other, make things, try things, just… do things. The building never happened, but the idea stuck.

Fast-forward to 2014, when Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings brought it back as the movement we know now. Their mantra is simple: “Everyone an artist, everyone a scientist.”

And I think that’s something we’ve really lost sight of.

Somewhere along the way, a lot of people have started to feel like they’ve got nothing to offer. Like they’re not creative, or not skilled, or not “that kind of person”.

But honestly, everyone has something.

I can’t change the oil in a car, I can’t plait hair, and I kill every houseplant I touch. I would genuinely love someone to show me how to do any of those things. Add in a cup of tea and a biscuit and I’m sold.

That’s the magic of it. The thing that feels completely normal to you might be exactly what someone else needs.

And that’s why Fun Palaces matter.

They bring people together who might never normally meet. You don’t have to be in the same circles, you don’t have to agree on everything, you just have to be willing to share something. And when you do, something shifts. Confidence grows, connections happen, community starts to build without anyone really forcing it.

Looking back, I think Fun Palaces triggered something in me. A sense of citizenship, maybe, that I didn’t even realise I was missing.

It came at quite an interesting point in my life. I had my children at 18 and 24, raised them as a single parent, and now I’m 47 and they’re grown up 22 and 28. And if I’m honest, that leaves a bit of a gap. A space where something used to be.

And then along came Fun Palaces.

It does feel a bit like the stars aligned, and one of those stars was that Weekend of Celebration.

Because Fun Palaces isn’t just about creativity. It’s about people. It’s about citizenship. It’s about recognising that we all have something to offer. That might be something really meaningful and serious, or it might be completely daft and a bit pointless. Both have value.

Especially now.

Because the reality is, there is never going to be enough money to fix everything. Funding only goes so far. Systems only go so far. And, if I’m being honest, paying tax doesn’t completely absolve us of responsibility to the places we live in.

It’s a bit like work. Yes, money matters, of course it does. But when people talk about jobs, they often forget everything else that comes with them. The social side. The people you meet. The things you learn. The experiences you have. The way you grow as a person. It’s massive for your mental health.

Citizenship is a bit like that, just without the payslip.

And actually, what gives you more of a warm feeling? Watching tax disappear out of your bank account… or helping someone, sharing something you know, meeting new people, being part of something, however small?

We’ve got very used to measuring value in money, in output, in productivity. But that’s not the whole story.

People often talk about a “golden age”, and whether that really existed or not is another conversation. But what they’re usually getting at is something quite simple. Knowing your neighbours. Saying hello. Feeling connected. Feeling like you belong.

Those things haven’t gone anywhere. We’re just a bit out of practice.

And that’s what Fun Palaces does. It gives us a reason to practise again.

In fact, I sometimes think I should hold Fun Palaces partly responsible for where I’ve ended up. I stood for Town Council last year, and I was elected. That sense of stepping forward, of feeling like you have a role to play in your community, that didn’t come from nowhere.

Fun Palaces is political, whether it shouts about it or not. It quietly pushes back against fear, against exclusion, against the idea that only certain people matter. It’s about inclusion, about acceptance, about recognising that everyone has something to teach and something to learn.

And that matters. A lot.

So, here we go again.

Another year of Fun Palaces. New people, new ideas, new places. Villages, towns and cities all over the UK.

The Weekend of Celebration is happening from 2nd to 4th October, and it’s the perfect excuse to get involved. You can host something, share something, or just turn up and see what happens.

There’s never a question in my mind about whether it’s worth it.

The only question is… what can I share, and what might I learn this year?

Join in. In whatever way works for you.

Because, at the end of the day, the world is what we make it.

Fancy making your own Fun Palace this year? You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need a date, a place and something you’d like to share.
Sign up here to make a fun palace!