Talk delivered by Lewis Hou, Science Ceilidh, Fun Palaces, SLIC

1. CELEBRATING
LOCALLY-LED
CULTURE AND
WELLBEING WITH
SCOTTISH
LIBRARIES
LEWIS HOU
SCIENCE CEILIDH
FUN PALACES AND SLIC
@FIDDLEBRAIN @FUNPALACESSCOT
LEWIS@SCIENCECEILIDH.COM

8. WHAT DOES CULTURE MEAN TOYOU?

9. WHAT SKILLS AND PASSIONS DOYOU HAVE THAT AREN’T RELATED
TOYOUR JOB?

11. ACTION
RESEARCH
WITH SCOTTISH
LIBRARIES AND
INFORMATION
COUNCIL AND
FUN PALACES
“Believing in the genius in
everyone…that creativity in
our community can change the
world for the better”

13. CULTURE AND WELLBEING COMMUNITY NETWORK SCOTLAND
Supporting
Communities
Offline
01
Tackling
Social
Isolation
02
STEAM In
Communities
03
How Stories
Connect Us
04
How Food
Connects Us
05
Inclusion and
Anti-Racism
06
Western Isles
Libraries
Edinburgh and
Midlothian
Libraries
Dundee Local
History &
Libraries
North Ayrshire
Library & NA
Grows

14. CULTURE &
WELLBEING
COMMUNITY
NETWORK
COMMUNITY OF
PRACTICE
KEY LEARNINGS
There are different challenges and benefits to the
different online platforms
It takes time and regular activities to build up
online communities
No format suits everyone - accessibility and
multiple formats is important
There is such value to “Connecting the
Connectors”

15. FUN PALACES WEEKEND
Any (tiny!) activity
which are free and
open to all during the
weekend 3 and 4
October
01
Connects people
together and values
everyone’s skills and
passions that already
exists in communities!
02
Locally meaningful and
led
03

16. GUIDING PRINCIPLES
VALUING IT’S A PROCESS,
NOT AN OUTCOME - IT
DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SHINY
AND IT TAKES TIME.
UNEARTH THE FORGOTTEN
SKILLS NOT THE
PROFESSIONAL
CELEBRATE DEEP
CONNECTIONS AND SMALL
CHANGES

17. In total there have been
1758 Fun Palaces made by
39,000 local people with
562,000 participants
“Brilliant, can’t believe how many people gave up their time
to run workshops, how many local people turned up to
participate, and the variety of amazing activities on offer…
and that it was all absolutely free!”
Fun Palace Maker, Hangleton and Knoll Fun Palace
2019: 391 Fun Palaces, 6256 Makers, 111,552 participant
2018: 433 Fun Palaces, 9000 110,000 participants
2017: 362 Fun Palaces, 13750 126,000 participant
2016: 292 Fun Palaces, 4800 124,000 participants
2015: 142 Fun Palaces, 2079 50,000 participants
2014: 138 Fun Palaces, 3183 40,000 participants

26. STIRLING LIBRARIES

27. NORTH AYRSHIRE LIBRARIES

28. STIRLING LIBRARIES

29. THANKYOU & WHAT NEXT?
JOIN OUR CULTURE
AND WELLBEING
GROUP!
FUN PALACES WEEKEND 2021
FRIDAY 30 SEP
SATURDAY 1 OCT
SUNDAY 2 OCT
KEEP IN TOUCH
FUN PALACES SCOTLAND
LEWIS@SCIENCECEILIDH.COM