Arising out of a simple question Duffy asked at the beginning of last year, "Who wants to do something for Joan Littlewood’s centenary in 2014, that isn’t another revival?", a movement is really taking shape.
For the uninitiated, Fun Palaces are spaces where participants can
"Choose what you want to do – or watch someone else doing it.
Learn how to handle tools, paint, babies, machinery, or just listen to
your favourite tune. Dance, talk or be lifted up to where you can see
how other people make things work. Sit out over space with a drink and
tune in to what’s happening elsewhere in the city. Try starting a riot
or beginning a painting – or just lie back and stare at the sky."
To be accepted as a contribution for this year's festival, the proposed events must be "self-generating, self-organising, and self-funding" and guided by with five principles that ensure a little of Joan Littlewood’s spirit permeates the events of 2014...
- FREE: Fun Palaces are free (for people to participate)
- LOCAL: Fun Palaces have community involvement, engagement and participation at heart. To make a Fun Palace you agree to ask local people what they would like to do.
- INNOVATIVE: Fun Palaces find new ways to bring the arts, culture and sciences together.
- TRANSFORMATIVE: Fun Palaces intend to transform the place/spaces you are working in, they transform the makers, and they transform the participants. We expect to be different after we have engaged with Fun Palaces.
- ENGAGING: Fun Palaces are about full participation. Sitting and listening is fine, as long as we also include opportunities to have a go.
Alongside the local events will be a Digital Fun Palace providing an open, welcoming space that connect and encourage contributions from the local Fun Palaces, engaging participants both at actual events and online.
Duffy says “This is not just an event, it is a movement, shouting that arts and culture belong at the heart of the nation. As the Olympics did for sport, Fun Palaces could show that arts, culture and science are also core passions for Britain.”
It's hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm as Duffy shares "I’m hugely excited about the Fun Palaces campaign – having worked in the arts for over 30 years, I truly believe in the power of arts, especially community-led arts, to make a difference to where we live and how we live. I also believe that when the arts and sciences speak to each other, astonishing things can happen. Joan Littlewood believed in inclusivity and diversity, long before they became the more commonplace (if not achieved) notions that they are today. She was well ahead of her time, hopefully Fun Palaces on 4/5 October will prove how right she was."
It's not just about 2014 either, with a commitment from Duffy and Rawlings to run the festival for "2015, 16 and beyond". All this plus continuing to write and recuperate, the 20th anniversary in June of her first novel Calendar Girl (featuring lesbian PI, Saz Martin), and a short story collection coming out with Salt Publishing in September, makes 2014 a busy year for Duffy.
Further information:
#FUNPALACES
www.funpalaces.co.uk
www.thealbany.org.uk
@FunPalaces
@theAlbanySE8
By Katie
