What is Billund Fun Palace?
Billund Fun Palace is an annual event that is co-created by the local Billund community, coming together to share their skills and passions for the benefit of others.
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It is part of the international Fun Palaces campaign for cultural democracy, promoting community at the heart of culture and culture at the heart of community.
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A weekend of action each October uses the combination of arts, craft, science, technology, digital, heritage and sports activities as a catalyst for community-led transformation, with active participation for all ages.
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Culture Shift initiated Billund Fun Palace in 2019 by inviting the community to co-design the event through an open process. A voluntary team lead the development, marketing and management of the event.
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Why Billund? Billund is a small, rural, yet incredibly diverse town in Jutland, Denmark, with a total population of 7000. 16% of the population come from international backgrounds. We believe the community needs cultural activity that brings people together, allows children and adults to participate equally and enables everyone to feel included. A Fun Palace does this and more, celebrating and shining a light on the community's own ideas of culture.
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The Fun Palaces Manifesto:
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'We believe in the genius of everyone, in everyone an artist and everyone a scientist, and that creativity can change the world for the better. We believe that we can do this together, locally, with radical fun and that anyone, anywhere can make a Fun Palace.'
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How to get involved
Billund needs more FUN right? So let’s make it happen together and create our own Fun Palace. Billund is a weird, small, amazingly diverse and sometimes smelly kind of town. It is filled with hidden creativity, passions and lots of pizza. What makes Billund a great place to be? YOU do! Making a Fun Palace together is a way for us to meet and make new friends and create our own entertainment. It is what we make it – by us, for us, with our ideas of fun, culture and creativity. Maybe you skateboard, play the kazoo, observe the stars, make edible art, invent machines. What would you like to share? Join in and do something different.
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To volunteer an activity, you can:
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Join the facebook group and stay up to date
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Come to an open meeting - see events below
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Fill in the 'offer an activity' form here (danish and english)
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Previous participants said that joining in made them feel proud of Billund, that they learned something new and that the event created a sense of community.
'It was really fun, interesting and child friendly' Participant
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'Hyggeligt med mange forskellige aktiviteter' Deltager
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'It was fantastic! It brought together members of the community who don't usually get the opportunity to get together. I spent time with people of all ages and I think one or two re-discovered their passions because they had the chance to try out some activities. I really felt that I had something to offer my community and that it was valued by those who participated.' Participant
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