Lab of Fun #3: Make Some Noise (A gentle introduction to activist event-making)

This workshop is Part 3 of our 9-part Laboratory of Fun Summer School series for community event makers. You can attend just this session, pick and choose a few, or register for the entire two-month series.

Want to join the full summer school? Click here to choose multiple sessions and 'add to cart' so you only need to register once.

Make Some Noise! (An introduction to activist  event-making)

Maybe your event isn't just about bringing people together for fun.

Maybe it's about standing up for something too. Whether it's climate action, housing, local green spaces, or something else entirely, this session is a light-touch introduction to giving your community event an activist edge. Led by Ria, our Campaigns Co-ordinator, who brings experience from many different campaigns, we'll look at how to weave a cause into your event without it feeling like a lecture... and how to turn a good time into a genuine call to action. You don't need to be a seasoned campaigner, it's all about your passion! 

What we'll cover: 

- What does "activist event-making" actually mean, and why it doesn't have to be scary
- How to weave a cause into your community event without losing the fun
- Practical tips from political campaigning that work just as well on your local high street
- Finding your message: how to talk about what you care about in a way that brings people with you
- Real examples of community events that made a difference
- Time for any questions you might have

Access:
Zoom closed captions are available for every session. Some other sessions also have a BSL interpreter live in the session, which are labelled on the event page. If you're a BSL user and the session you'd like to join isn't covered, or if you have any other access requirements, email hello@funpalaces.co.uk and we'll do what we can to arrange it. 

Joining a session:
You never have to speak, be on camera, or share anything you don't want to. Cameras on or off, microphone on or off - it's entirely your call throughout. Taking part by listening and reading along is taking part and it's always enough. We won't put anyone on the spot and when we invite people to contribute, it's always an invitation, never an expectation. We don't record any of the sessions. This is a space to think out loud, ask questions and change your mind - which people find easier when not being recorded.

Who it's for:
Anyone who cares about a cause (like climate, housing, green spaces, local services, anything!) and wants to weave it into a community event and bring people along with you.

About the Laboratory of Fun

The Laboratory of Fun is a free workshop series from Fun Palaces, open to anyone who wants to bring their community together. Whether you're putting on your first event or building on years of experience, each session is designed to be practical, honest, jargon-free and full of our top tips gathered from Fun Palace Makers across the UK and beyond over the last 12 years. You don't need permission, qualifications, experience, a big budget. You just need to care about your community and the people around you.

Take one session or take them all!

Why 'Laboratory of Fun'? The name is a nod to Joan Littlewood, the radical theatre director who dreamed up the original Fun Palace in the 1960s. She called it a 'laboratory of fun' and a 'university of the streets'... a space where anyone could experiment, learn and create. The building was never built, but the idea never went away. These workshops are our version of that same spirit: a place to experiment, mess about with ideas and figure things out together.

About Fun Palaces

Fun Palaces is a national movement that supports local people to create their own free community events: sharing skills, passions and interests, and celebrating the genius that already exists in every community. As we continue to be concerned by division sown amongst our communities, there has never been a stronger case to bring people together, to find joy and fun and to celebrate the unique skills and talents we each possess. Fun Palaces are about taking some time out for an hour, a day, a weekend to dream something better, collectively, for the places we live in. And to put that dreaming into action.

You can find out more about Fun Palaces at funpalaces.co.uk