Fun Palaces' Campaigns
Fun Palaces has always been a campaign for cultural democracy: the idea that EVERYONE gets to decide what counts as culture, and create culture.
Our campaigns work explores this in more detail, and over the next year we’ll be creating more in-depth campaigns: and you can help shape them.
Recently, we’ve launched ‘Culture: It’s What We Make’! Read more about this below.
Culture: It’s What We Make
Culture: It’s What We Make is an invitation to redefine the word culture entirely – in true Fun Palaces style.
Because culture isn’t just something we attend or consume: it’s how we live, and how we choose to gather. It’s about how we experience the world, and how we live and belong in it.
We all make culture: it’s made in the everyday moments we share: random or organised.
Culture is on your doorstep
You don’t have to leave your community, spend lots of money, or spend lots of time to experience culture; culture is everywhere, it’s in your homes, in your communities and it’s within you. And everyday culture is just as powerful.
“Culture definitely doesn’t have to be perfect – often it’s better when it’s not. And when we choose connection over perfection, we aren’t just making, we are participating in democracy, community and culture.”
Read more about Culture: It’s What We Make in the blog below.
The power of story telling – and handing over
The culture sector often has a top-down approach, where institutions and funders hold power; by shifting narratives and giving people agency, and proactively handing over spaces to community members, we can shift who holds the power.
That’s why Fun Palaces speaks about the Genius in Everyone! Fun Palaces call it “local genius”, not local talent because every community is already full of brilliant people, and you don’t need to bring in external experts. It’s all about noticing the genius that’s already on the doorstep.
Over the coming months, Makers will be sharing their stories, and reflecting on their Fun Palaces: what went well, what was tricky, what their tips and tricks are, and whether local Fun Palaces led to any further action in their local communities: whether big or small.
In the first blog Julia Hines from Grange Big Local Fun Palace, writes about how to find Makers, with her tips and tricks:
Get Involved with Fun Palaces’ Campaigns:
Are you a Maker? Whether you’re a knitter, a bike-fixer, a community-starter or skilled in other ways, we want to hear from you.
Are you interested in change making? Want to help shape our campaigns?
Email Ria on ria@funpalaces.co.uk, and let’s talk about how we can share your Maker Story; or
Fill out this form linked here to get involved with our Campaigns Working Group