Who are Fun Palaces?
Fun Palaces campaigns year-round for everyone to have a say in what counts as culture, where it happens, who makes it, and who experiences it. They place community at the heart of culture, and culture at the heart of every community.
They support volunteers, grassroots communities, new and established organisations, and practitioners across the UK (and beyond) to make Fun Palaces – free, local events that use arts and science as a catalyst to celebrate each unique community, and the skills and interest of those who live there.
Their mission is to strengthen communities by empowering individuals, supporting partnerships, and challenging the way arts and science are currently owned and created. You can find out more about Fun Palaces here.
As an organisation that plays an active role in the Welsh cultural landscape, our ambition is to make everyone feel not only welcome, but an important part of everything we do. To achieve this, we need to actively reach out to our local communities.
Our partnership with Fun Palaces supports us with an opportunity to test new and different approaches to working with local communities and partners. It has the exciting potential of making more people feel an increased sense of belonging and connection, whilst helping us to play our part in creating a fair and equal society.
Opening Tŷ Aberconwy
In October 2024 Tŷ Aberconwy re-opened its doors as a second-hand bookshop. Working in partnership with Fun Palaces and Camerados, we’ve established a public living room on the first floor and started to explore opportunities to use the building with the local community.
We’ve held a number of open days, sharing the building with the local community and testing ideas of how it could be used.
Work with us at Tŷ Aberconwy
In 2025 we are looking for a creative community facilitator to work with us at Tŷ Aberconwy for 6-months to encourage, enable and support us to use the space with the community.
Building on the work that has taken place over the past year, this role will help us develop ways which Tŷ Aberconwy can be used with the community and for local needs. You’ll also play a part in developing the potential of the site and will help shape the future of Tŷ Aberconwy.
This will be an exciting opportunity for a creative individual who has a good knowledge of the needs of local communities, specifically in Conwy and Gwynedd.
This opportunity is the end of a period of 5 years of collaboration between Fun Palaces and the National Trust in north Wales. You’ll be able to build on our learning to date and will be supported by the National Trust team and the team at Fun Palaces.
Role details
This is 2 days a week for 6 months working in Ty Aberconwy or in Conwy at least 1 day a week.
Fee: £250 per day
Closing Date: 10am 31 January 2025.
See the job pack here for a full description and how to apply
Y Prosiect Hinsawdd (The Climate Project)
One outcome of our Fun Palaces partnership has been Y Prosiect Hinsawdd (The Climate Project), set up by Bethan PageFun Palaces Ambassador, to engage young people with climate-related discussions and activities. It focussed on the small steps that can be taken to lessen climate anxiety and promotes the feeling of having some control over the situation.
Sessions took place once a month and involved being outdoors, visiting National Trust places, walking, yoga, creative activities, trips, and eating good food. Young people were given the opportunity to learn about our climate and nature work and to engage with staff and volunteers about the work that they do to care for our landscapes.
It was an opportunity to learn and share experiences of engaging with young people, of responding to their interests and concerns, and of developing ways of supporting them to co-create their own activities and events.
