Newark set to become Fun Palace once again this October
Newark is set to become a Fun Palace once again this October as the nationwide celebration of skills and culture returns for a third year.
Running from Friday 6 to Sunday October 8, a packed programme of free events for all ages will take place at venues throughout town with chances to try graffiti, circus skills, Scottish Country Dancing and even making a mini theatre stage.
Fun Palaces will be taking place up and down the country with the local event being organised by Newark Creates, a three-year cultural programme forming part of the town’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone and led by Newark Cultural Consortium.
Carol Newman, director of culture at Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries, the lead partner in the consortium, said: “Fun Palaces are all about sharing culture and skills and we are lucky to live in an area so rich in both.
“This is a chance to come out of your comfort zone and try something new, getting creative, learning and having fun. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to get a free taste of what’s already available in the local area like the National Civil War Centre, courses at Newark College and Inspire at the Buttermarket, amazing places like Beanblock and, of course, the magic of Newark Library.”
The fun will begin at Newark College on the Friday with free taster sessions on creative writing, how to fly a plane, CV writing, digital media and maths made fun while board game café LetsXcape Together will be offering the chance to learn backgammon.
The same day will see creative family crafts at Beanblock; crafts, colouring and poems at Newark Library; and a curious tots session for children under four at Inspire at the Buttermarket.
Across Friday and Saturday, visitors will be able to make a mini stage at Newark Art Gallery, and Newark Heritage Barge will be open over all three days with a chance to discover how families lived 100 years ago.
The National Civil War Centre and Palace Theatre return as venues once again and will host a vast array of events on the Saturday from cake and biscuit decorating to early years music and movement session Palace Players, an opportunity to meet the teams from The Workhouse, Southwell Minster and Bilsthorpe Heritage Museum, 3D paper cats and dogs crafts with artist in residence Vanessa Stone, seed bomb making with Newark in Bloom, games, jigsaws, recycled print making, circus skills with Newark Circus Club, virtual reality worlds and more.
Saturday will also see the chance to enjoy performing arts with the Town Hall Ballroom hosting Scottish country dancing and a children’s dance class from The Studio at Averham as well as fun drama workshops with Starlight Theatre. Meanwhile Ginger Dog Theatre will be holding music sessions for both adults and children at Beanblock.
Newark Library will welcome the Notts and District Guild of Handspinners, Weavers and Dyers for demonstrations and chances to have a go on a weaving loom, as well as offering crafts, colouring, poem writing, bunting making, a Lego Big Build and story activities for all ages with Newark Creates Artist in Residence Nicky Rafferty. Plus, Newark Book Festival favourite, Doodling Poet Chris White, will be showing visitors to Inspire at the Buttermarket how to draw cartoon animals while the venue also invites guests to make beautiful Kusudama paper flowers and birds, create a musical fanfare and improve their map reading.
The fun spills out onto the Market Place as Newark Creates artist in residence James Mayle leads a community canvas spray painting graffiti session and conservation experts help you identify special building features and send visitors on a specially devised architecture hunt.
For the full programme and to find out more about Newark Creates and Fun Palaces, visit www.newarkcreates.com/funpalace2023
Fun Palace participants can pick up a leaflet at the various venues and get them stamped at each one they attend, picking up a Newark Creates badge if they hand in a completed one at the Palace Theatre Box Office.
