Published 27th September 2024
On Saturday 5 October Worksop Library hosted its seventh Fun Palace event, with FREE drop-in activities designed to encourage people of all ages to engage with arts, science and culture.
Visitors arrived between 10am and 3pm to take part in activities including crafting bugs from clay and foraged materials, stone painting, sensory play, science busking and much more. The library welcomed local community groups and organisations including:
- The Harley Gallery
- From The Heart Charity
- Ignite!
- Mr Straws House, National Trust
- UK Atomic Energy Authority
- Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Service (BCVS)
- Oasis Community Centre
- Veolia
- Women in Engineering Society at the University of Sheffield
- Now Church at Langold
The day was also peppered with performances and musical activities: Dukeries Ukeries Ukulele Group, followed by Langold Dyscarr School Choir. Inspire Music’s own Red Hot Band took to the stage at 12.30pm, then audiences were encouraged to join them in their Fun Palace grand finale.
Nature and the environment – important elements in much of Inspire’s work - were at the forefront of Worksop Library’s Fun Palace this year, with many activities encouraging visitors to be mindful of their impact and decisions when it comes to the world around them. The Harley Gallery utilised materials foraged from the nearby Welbeck estate in their session, and Veolia were in attendance with their beanbag game aiming to raise awareness of recycling. BCVS also helped families paint stones to contribute to a display at Willow Community Garden, a community resource based at nearby allotments.
Science has always featured in a big way at the Fun Palace in Worksop and this year is no exception - families were encouraged to get hands-on with science with various sessions. Nottingham-based charity Ignite returned with their ever-popular science busking kit full of simple science tricks, and The UK Atomic Energy Authority and the Women in Engineering Society both attended with a variety of fun STEM activities including snap circuits, a virtual reality headset and giant plasma ball.
During the event, Inspire’s I Am An Artist exhibition was on display in the library’s gallery. Five artists in collaboration with local groups, including Worksop’s Oasis Community Centre, created a colourful and inspiring collection of artwork contributing to the exhibition.
Additionally, teams from Inspire were on hand with badger-themed crafts, as well as hosting a quiet zone – perfect for those who needed a little bit of calm during the excitement of the day’s events. Elsewhere, children were able to try their hand at coding with fun Code-a-Pillars, which can be programmed to follow a route around the space. The fan favourite badge machine was also in action on the day, giving children the opportunity to create a memento to take away with them.
"We are thrilled to be welcoming visitors to our Fun Palace at Worksop Library for the 7th year. Our libraries are a true hub of the communities they serve, and bringing people of all ages together at events just like this is what our teams do best. We urge people to come along and try out the brilliant activities throughout the day, and hope that once again our Fun Palace encourages community spirit and a love for culture and the arts."
Save the date - Fun Palace will return to Worksop Library on Saturday 4 October 2025!
Fun Palaces is a free, nationwide campaign for culture at the heart of community and community at the heart of culture happening over the weekend of the 4 October – 6 October 2024. Each Fun Palace celebrates the unique skills and passions of local people – run by, for and with the local community.
