Fun Palaces Director Amie Taylor and sociologist Dr Katy Pilcher from Aston University discuss a collaborative research project.

For 'Creative Voices, Activist Voices: Sensory Stories of Creative Communities', they investigated whether communities who make creative and cultural experiences for themselves also create ways to have their needs heard.

Featuring guests Kerris Casey St-Pierre, Julia Hines and Chery Nguyen.

Recording and editing by Chuck Blue Lowry.

This research project was funded by the Centre for Cultural Value's Collaborate Fund.

About Fun Palaces Fun Palaces is an onging campaign for culural democracy and a weekend of action and celebration, taking place on the first weekend of October every year - during which communities come together to make pop-up Fun Palaces. Cultural democracy is an approach to arts and culture that engages everyone in deciding what counts as culture, where it happens, who makes it and who experiences it. Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings co-founded Fun Palaces in 2013 to celebrate revolutionary theatre director, Joan Littlewood's centenary on the 6th October 2014. As more communities, individuals and organisations across the UK asked if they could join in, it quickly became clear that it was never going to be a one-off. In 2021 Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung took over as co-directors of the organisation. Inspired by Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price's never-built 1960s vision of one building for all arts and science, free to the local community of the East End of London, the 21st century Fun Palaces is about reclaiming public space, encouraging cultural venues to throw open their doors, shining a light on unsung community activism and supporting local people to step up to co-create their own community events. Learning from the communities that take part every year, Fun Palaces has changed and grown, and is now as varied as the people who take part. Find out more at: www.funpalaces.co.uk Follow us on Instagram: @FunPalaces

This edition of the Fun Palaces podcast looks at the work of Fun Palaces veterans, the Auchinleck Community Development Initiative (ACDI), Scotland. Ruari Gordon, Fun Palaces Ambassador at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness, and former resident of Auchinleck, visited the group earlier this year to find out how the organisation's work with the community in this former mining village in East Ayrshire has affected the lives of the people who live there, and how they have engaged with Fun Palaces to bring everyday creativity to the fore. Hailing from Auchinleck, Ruari was particularly interested to see how ACDI had managed to support the community of Auchinleck in the face of the significant economic and social pressures felt in so many post-industrial areas over the last few decades. ACDI team members Stuart Mitchell, Rachel Alexander and Leon Brownlie offered their insights into the role of culture in places like Auchinleck, and expanded on how they bring the ethos of Fun Palaces into their everyday operations. We also hear from a number of Auchinleck residents, who tell us in their own words just what Auchinleck is known for. About Fun Palaces Fun Palaces is an onging campaign for culural democracy and a weekend of action and celebration, taking place on the first weekend of October every year - during which communities come together to make pop-up Fun Palaces. Cultural democracy is an approach to arts and culture that engages everyone in deciding what counts as culture, where it happens, who makes it and who experiences it. Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings co-founded Fun Palaces in 2013 to celebrate revolutionary theatre director, Joan Littlewood's centenary on the 6th October 2014. As more communities, individuals and organisations across the UK asked if they could join in, it quickly became clear that it was never going to be a one-off. In 2021 Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung took over as co-directors of the organisation. Inspired by Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price's never-built 1960s vision of one building for all arts and science, free to the local community of the East End of London, the 21st century Fun Palaces is about reclaiming public space, encouraging cultural venues to throw open their doors, shining a light on unsung community activism and supporting local people to step up to co-create their own community events. Learning from the communities that take part every year, Fun Palaces has changed and grown, and is now as varied as the people who take part. Find out more at: www.funpalaces.co.uk Follow us on Instagram: @FunPalaces

In this podcast, we meet librarian Zoey Dixon who will tell you all about why Fun Palaces are so perfect suited to libraries. About Fun Palaces Fun Palaces is an onging campaign for culural democracy and a weekend of action and celebration, taking place on the first weekend of October every year - during which communities come together to make pop-up Fun Palaces. Cultural democracy is an approach to arts and culture that engages everyone in deciding what counts as culture, where it happens, who makes it and who experiences it. Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings co-founded Fun Palaces in 2013 to celebrate revolutionary theatre director, Joan Littlewood's centenary on the 6th October 2014. As more communities, individuals and organisations across the UK asked if they could join in, it quickly became clear that it was never going to be a one-off. In 2021 Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung took over as co-directors of the organisation. Inspired by Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price's never-built 1960s vision of one building for all arts and science, free to the local community of the East End of London, the 21st century Fun Palaces is about reclaiming public space, encouraging cultural venues to throw open their doors, shining a light on unsung community activism and supporting local people to step up to co-create their own community events. Learning from the communities that take part every year, Fun Palaces has changed and grown, and is now as varied as the people who take part. Find out more at: www.funpalaces.co.uk Follow us on Instagram: @FunPalaces Credits: Producer: Dan Vo Editor: Samuel Gunn Guests: Zoe Dixon

Host Dan Vo explores Tiny Changes, one of the core aspeects of Fun Palaces. He speaks with Carine Osmont in Farnham and Rizia Ali from the Boundary Estate in London about the tiny changes they've seen in their communities and in themselves in their time with Fun Palaces. About Fun Palaces Fun Palaces is an onging campaign for culural democracy and a weekend of action and celebration, taking place on the first weekend of October every year - during which communities come together to make pop-up Fun Palaces. Cultural democracy is an approach to arts and culture that engages everyone in deciding what counts as culture, where it happens, who makes it and who experiences it. Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings co-founded Fun Palaces in 2013 to celebrate revolutionary theatre director, Joan Littlewood's centenary on the 6th October 2014. As more communities, individuals and organisations across the UK asked if they could join in, it quickly became clear that it was never going to be a one-off. In 2021 Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung took over as co-directors of the organisation. Inspired by Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price's never-built 1960s vision of one building for all arts and science, free to the local community of the East End of London, the 21st century Fun Palaces is about reclaiming public space, encouraging cultural venues to throw open their doors, shining a light on unsung community activism and supporting local people to step up to co-create their own community events. Learning from the communities that take part every year, Fun Palaces has changed and grown, and is now as varied as the people who take part. Find out more at: www.funpalaces.co.uk Follow us on Instagram: @FunPalaces Producer: Dan Vo Editor: Samuel Gunn Guests: Rizia Ali and Carine Osmont

Today it's a Fun Palaces conversation between Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung the new co-directors of Fun Palaces. It's a podcast that pairs with the episode with Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings, picking up where they left off and giving us an idea of their vision for the future. But still asking, "What would Stella and Sarah-Jane do?"! About Fun Palaces Fun Palaces is an onging campaign for culural democracy and a weekend of action and celebration, taking place on the first weekend of October every year - during which communities come together to make pop-up Fun Palaces. Cultural democracy is an approach to arts and culture that engages everyone in deciding what counts as culture, where it happens, who makes it and who experiences it. Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings co-founded Fun Palaces in 2013 to celebrate revolutionary theatre director, Joan Littlewood's centenary on the 6th October 2014. As more communities, individuals and organisations across the UK asked if they could join in, it quickly became clear that it was never going to be a one-off. In 2021 Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung took over as co-directors of the organisation. Inspired by Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price's never-built 1960s vision of one building for all arts and science, free to the local community of the East End of London, the 21st century Fun Palaces is about reclaiming public space, encouraging cultural venues to throw open their doors, shining a light on unsung community activism and supporting local people to step up to co-create their own community events. Learning from the communities that take part every year, Fun Palaces has changed and grown, and is now as varied as the people who take part. Find out more at: www.funpalaces.co.uk Follow us on Instagram: @FunPalaces Producer: Dan Vo Audio mix: Lewis Campbell Music mix: Samuel Gunn Guests: Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung.

Today it's a Fun Palaces conversation between Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings as they prepare to step down as co-directors and say farewell (although it's really not goodbye forever!). About Fun Palaces Fun Palaces is an onging campaign for culural democracy and a weekend of action and celebration, taking place on the first weekend of October every year - during which communities come together to make pop-up Fun Palaces. Cultural democracy is an approach to arts and culture that engages everyone in deciding what counts as culture, where it happens, who makes it and who experiences it. Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings co-founded Fun Palaces in 2013 to celebrate revolutionary theatre director, Joan Littlewood's centenary on the 6th October 2014. As more communities, individuals and organisations across the UK asked if they could join in, it quickly became clear that it was never going to be a one-off. In 2021 Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung took over as co-directors of the organisation. Inspired by Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price's never-built 1960s vision of one building for all arts and science, free to the local community of the East End of London, the 21st century Fun Palaces is about reclaiming public space, encouraging cultural venues to throw open their doors, shining a light on unsung community activism and supporting local people to step up to co-create their own community events. Learning from the communities that take part every year, Fun Palaces has changed and grown, and is now as varied as the people who take part. Find out more at: www.funpalaces.co.uk Follow us on Instagram: @FunPalaces Producer: Dan Vo Editor: Samuel Gunn Guests: Peter Lower, Yvonne Marjo, Ruth Murray, Degna Stone. Made with help from: Stella Duffy, Sarah Jane Rawlings, Ravina Bajwa, Kirsty Lothian and Daniel King.

Host Dan Vo explores Tiny Connections, one of the core aspects of Fun Palaces. He speaks with Degna Stone in Newcastle, Ruth Murray from New Mills and Yvonne Marjo from the Isle of Mull in Scotland about how they got involved with the Fun Palaces Weekend with A Manifesto of Tiny Commitments. We also meet Peter Lower from Chippenham who we'll unwittingly take on a journey to write his own manifesto! About Fun Palaces Fun Palaces is an onging campaign for culural democracy and a weekend of action and celebration, taking place on the first weekend of October every year - during which communities come together to make pop-up Fun Palaces. Cultural democracy is an approach to arts and culture that engages everyone in deciding what counts as culture, where it happens, who makes it and who experiences it. Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings co-founded Fun Palaces in 2013 to celebrate revolutionary theatre director, Joan Littlewood's centenary on the 6th October 2014. As more communities, individuals and organisations across the UK asked if they could join in, it quickly became clear that it was never going to be a one-off. In 2021 Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung took over as co-directors of the organisation. Inspired by Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price's never-built 1960s vision of one building for all arts and science, free to the local community of the East End of London, the 21st century Fun Palaces is about reclaiming public space, encouraging cultural venues to throw open their doors, shining a light on unsung community activism and supporting local people to step up to co-create their own community events. Learning from the communities that take part every year, Fun Palaces has changed and grown, and is now as varied as the people who take part. Find out more at: www.funpalaces.co.uk Follow us on Instagram: @FunPalaces Producer: Dan Vo Editor: Samuel Gunn Guests: Peter Lower, Yvonne Marjo, Ruth Murray, Degna Stone. Made with help from: Stella Duffy, Sarah Jane Rawlings, Ravina Bajwa, Kirsty Lothian and Daniel King.

Fun Palaces co-director Stella Duffy speaks about the Fun Palaces Weekend 3 - 4 October 2020, how the original idea came about, and how 2020 will be about having tiny ones. Fun Palaces Maker Lorena Hodgson shares lots of ideas about how you can get involved with Fun Palaces this year and two Fun Palaces Ambassadors Lewis Hou and Beverley Nunn will give you some info about the Fun Palaces that are already live on the official Fun Palaces map. Also, Eddie McCleneghan drops by to read us a poem! About Fun Palaces Fun Palaces is an onging campaign for culural democracy and a weekend of action and celebration, taking place on the first weekend of October every year - during which communities come together to make pop-up Fun Palaces. Cultural democracy is an approach to arts and culture that engages everyone in deciding what counts as culture, where it happens, who makes it and who experiences it. Stella Duffy and Sarah-Jane Rawlings co-founded Fun Palaces in 2013 to celebrate revolutionary theatre director, Joan Littlewood's centenary on the 6th October 2014. As more communities, individuals and organisations across the UK asked if they could join in, it quickly became clear that it was never going to be a one-off. In 2021 Kirsty Lothian and Makala Cheung took over as co-directors of the organisation. Inspired by Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price's never-built 1960s vision of one building for all arts and science, free to the local community of the East End of London, the 21st century Fun Palaces is about reclaiming public space, encouraging cultural venues to throw open their doors, shining a light on unsung community activism and supporting local people to step up to co-create their own community events. Learning from the communities that take part every year, Fun Palaces has changed and grown, and is now as varied as the people who take part. Find out more at: www.funpalaces.co.uk Follow us on Instagram: @FunPalaces Producer: Dan Vo Editor: Samuel Gunn Guests: Lewis Hou, Stella Duffy, Lorena Hodgson, Beverley Nunn and Eddie McCleneghan. Made with help from: Stella Duffy, Sarah Jane Rawlings, Ravina Bajwa, Kirsty Lothian and Daniel King