Resources
Everything here is to help you make your Fun Palace – and you don’t need to read all of it. Most Makers dip in for the one or two things they need, when they need them.
What do you need help with?
New here? Start here
If you’re just starting out, the Getting Started guide walks you through everything. Come back here once you’ve got a date and a place in mind.
Stuck for what to do?
Browse over 50 tried-and-tested activity ideas from Makers across the UK – crafts, nature, stories, kindness, protest and play. Most cost next to nothing, and lots come with a printable how-to sheet.
Money and partners
You don’t need a budget to make a Fun Palace. Ideas for funding it, and for finding people to make it with.
- Funding your Fun Palace PDF
From borrowing kit off your neighbours to applying for a grant. Around 80% of Makers make theirs with no extra money at all. - Opportunities and collaborators PDF · web version
Ideas for joining up with people and groups near you.
Keep a ghost budget. Note down what things would have cost if you’d paid for them – space, kit, people’s time. It shows venues and funders the real value of what your community made together.
“If we had been funded and had paid people to make them for us, we would not have had so many opportunities to learn, fail, try again, achieve. In other words, it would have taken the fun away.”
Fun Palace Maker, 2014
Making it for everyone
Help everyone feel welcome and able to take part, whoever they are and wherever they are.
- Accessibility PDF · web version
How to make sure everyone can take part, whatever their access needs. - Free 1:1 access chat
Book a free 30-minute Zoom session with Faith, the Fun Palaces Access Consultant, to talk through your plans. - Top tips on accessible Fun Palaces
Faith’s checklist of the access information people look for before they visit. - Young people and Fun Palaces PDF
For adults working with children and young people: how to hand over real decisions to them. - 16-18s toolkit PDF · web version
If you’re 16 to 18 and making your own Fun Palace, everything you need is in here. - Digital Fun Palaces
Tools and ideas for a Fun Palace that happens online, or partly online.
Looking like a Fun Palace
Posters, logos and style guides that show everyone they’ve joined something much bigger.
- Posters and logos
Every size and format, ready to download, print and put up. - Quick, simple style guide PDF
The one-page version: the few things that make something look like a Fun Palace. - Detailed style guide PDF
The full brand guidelines: colours, fonts, logos and how to use them.
Spreading the word
Tell your neighbours, local media and local representatives what is happening.
- Publicity toolkit PDF · web version
How to tell everyone about your Fun Palace, from social posts to local press. - Fun Palaces text for the web Word
Ready-made wording to lift and adapt for your own listings and pages. - Template press release Word
Fill in your own details and send it to local media. - Invitation for your MP, councillor, MS or MSP Word
A ready-to-send invitation to bring your local representative along.
Keeping everyone safe
Risk assessments, insurance and consent, made simple – and looking after you, too.
- Look after yourself
Six promises and a quick check-in, so making your Fun Palace stays fun for you too. - How to complete a risk assessment PDF
A walk-through so you’ve thought of anything that might pose a risk on the day. - Risk assessment template Word
An example form, already filled in, to start from. - Insurance briefing from Creative Lives
In a public building? Most have insurance for a one-off event, so check with them first. If not, your usual insurer can help. - Media consent form Word
If you’re filming or photographing people for the annual film or Maker soundbites, use this to get their consent.
Greener Fun Palaces
Make your Fun Palace kinder to the planet – it is often cheaper too.
- Sustainability toolkit PDF · web version
Tips for a greener Fun Palace, plus a checklist to use as you plan. - Sustainability checklist PDF
A printable checklist for planning a greener Fun Palace, with the Makers’ Climate Pledge.
Libraries and reading
Libraries are one of the most popular places to make a Fun Palace.
- Libraries
A whole section of library resources, including how to hand your space over to the community. - Reading Fun Palaces: Go all in!
Ideas for sharing a love of reading at your Fun Palace.
Films, photos and podcasts
Get inspired by other Makers, and borrow our photos to tell your own Fun Palace story.
- Fun Palace films
Our yearly films of Makers and their Fun Palaces – great for showing people what it is all about. - Maker top tips
Tiny films of Makers sharing their best advice. - Podcasts and recordings
Listen to conversations about Fun Palaces and community culture. - Photos to use
Photos you can use to share the story of Fun Palaces – please credit the photographer.
Still looking?
Can’t find what you need, or want to talk something through? The Fun Palaces team is here to help.
- Ask for a friendly chat
Email the team and we’ll find a time to talk – no question is too small. - Getting Started
The friendly walk-through: what a Fun Palace is, how to begin, and how to put yours on the map. - Maker Know-How
The how-to library: practical guides on funding, access, publicity, last-minute and Tiny Fun Palaces. - Fun Palaces explained PDF
A short fold-out brochure to share with a venue, a colleague or a curious neighbour. Ask the team if you would like printed copies.