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Create the fUNFAIR! 🎪

Green wooden sign with fUNFAIR in yellow letters

Update (Sep 2024)

THAT WAS SOOO fUNFAIR

One of the biggest joys of XR is the limitless creativity of our rebels. Let’s take a moment (this moment) to celebrate that!

🤡 Time to BIG UP the wonderful groups who brought us the fUNFAIR collection of participatory games and stalls, representing our broken system.

▪️Splat the Protestor - Malvern ▪️Ping Pong Planet - London ▪️Pin the pigtail on Greta - Cymru ▪️Spin The Wheel - The Misinformation Station ▪️Giant Jenga - XR Haringey ▪️Oligarchs tug of war - Lincoln ▪️Hook a Duck (not actually a duck - ew) - Norwich ▪️Egg & spoon (Energy) race and sack race - Nottingham

Most humble apologies for anyone left off this list.

Info provided in the run-up to the action

This weekend will highlight the unrepresentative and unfair systems of government. So we are planning to have a space in which we can express the imbalances and need for change in the system.

We need to Upgrade Democracy. We need to give the people a voice and we need to make the sounds loud and proud and demand a change to the system. If we talk together we can deliver change together. We can provide the space for that dialogue. It is what the weekend is about - delivering system change through shared open dialogue.

The fUNFAIR will be a fairground of participatory games and stalls that represent the imbalances and need for change in the system. To achieve this we need your help, your creativity, your ingenuity and your imagination.

Our new campsite at Home Park is peaceful and great for camping, but low on public footfall, so making your creation portable could be advantageous. You can bring your game to the colourful ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE action outside the Castle Gates on Sunday!

Register your game or stall by filling in this form with your plans so we can link up and coordinate.

The Vision

The vision is to create a vibrant and happy country-fair feel to the whole experience, with numerous colourful games and stalls, in our own version of a fUNFAIR - with a twist.

Maybe a coconut shy, hook-a-duck and hoopla or even representations of game shows like play-your-cards-right or family fortunes but with a climate, nature or geopolitical theme.

The Twist - The games will be unwinnable to start off with but, following a conversation (with stall holder and any gathering crowd) about why it is unfair and what steps can be taken to 'win', the game can then be adjusted to enable the participant to succeed.

Make the aim of the game clear. Include signage or a spokesperson to communicate the #UpgradeDemocracy message.

Education, conversation but with creativity and fun!

Getting Involved

Groups are invited to design, create and then run their own games or stalls during the weekend occupation. They should be as colourful and imaginative as possible. We want them to be bright and exciting and accessible to all ages and abilities. Unfortunately we can't provide gazebos, but feel free to bring your own if needed.

The vision is to deliver a multitude of different interesting and entertaining experiences to keep ourselves, our friends and families engrossed in the occupation and intrigued by the idea of talking about change.

Our mission is a big one and so, to help plant the idea of what we hope to achieve, we want as many games and challenges as possible to engage as many people as possible in as many different ways as possible.

Drop-in creative ideas workshops

Come along to this friendly and informal space hosted by the Creative Community to throw around creative ideas, get advice and support each other's plans for fUNFAIR games and any other creative designs for Upgrade Democracy.

Please come and join us and bring your local group members. We are here to support you with your ideas!

  • Wed Aug 21st 7-8pm

Game Ideas

Hoopla

Blocks with climate targets on them where the ‘economic’ ring is too small to fall over the block. After conversation, provide a larger ring.

Blocks with Heads of State on where the head is too big for the ‘ring of continuity’ to fall over. After conversation, swap heads for smaller ones.

Coconut Shy Coconuts with degrees of warming on to be knocked over or off their perch in the correct order by balls of consumerism but where the first one is tied down. After a conversation the first coconut is untied and a bigger ball is given to the participant as well.
Family Fortunes The public may be required, questions could range from anything from species loss to political failings, i.e. we gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many species that have become extinct in the last 100 years as they could. What do you think were the most common answers? People will name what they think were the answers most commonly given but the correct answers could be the species that were most common. After a conversation the question is clarified and pictures of the species are provided to assist in answering the question.
Bobbing for Dividends Like bobbing for apples but the barrel is full of the detritus found in our rivers and seas, and you’re bobbing for a hefty water company dividends cheque.
Splat the rat Dress up as judge and splat anyone telling the truth about climate with your gavel!

Opening times

It is envisaged that the fUNFAIR will operate throughout most of the 3 days, so it would be beneficial for a number of local groups to join together to create and run a game between them, to share both the creation and running of the stall.

Currently the schedule for fUNFAIR at the campsite is as follows:

  • Friday 12:00 - 16:00
  • Friday 20:30 - 22:00
  • Saturday 17:00 - 20:00

In addition, if your funfair stall is small and portable there will be an opportunity to include it in the Sunday action in front of the castle. PLease contact us if you think this could apply to your stall upgradedemocracy@extinctionrebellion.uk

  • Sunday 11:00 - 13:00

Design, Production and Delivery

The core colour scheme for Upgrade Democracy is neon pink cerise and acid yellow - see the Messaging and Design page - but it is not expected that they be repeated throughout the whole fUNFAIR, except perhaps on the signs displaying information and the names of the stalls.

Transporting the game to the site will involve carrying items a fair distance, so this should be taken in to consideration.


For an overview of key info for the Upgrade Democracy event - click here

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