Fun A Day Dundee is just around the corner and we’re here to ensure you have a fun filled new year! Whether you’re new to the project, or you’ve taken part before, here’s a simple guide to inform you on how you can take part.

• 1. What Is Fun A Day Dundee? (FADD)
  
  Fun A Day started in America. Artists encouraged each other to focus on personal projects over the month of January to achieve goals. Over the years it’s welcomed non artists and hobbyists, and has reached its way to Scotland!
  
  The concept is simple:
  1) Pick an idea/project that you want to do every day/every week over January. (You can also do a variety of things to keep you interested!)
  2) Document/work on your project bit by bit over 31 days.
  3) Share your work online with other participants and/or follow other projects.
  4) Hit some personal or artistic goals in a fun way, with a friendly community.
  4) Be a part of a group showcase (exhibition) in the Spring to celebrate the fun we had in January. (Signing up doesn’t mean you have to take part in the exhibition. This is an event that is organised separately to the project in January, but does only apply to those who have taken part.)
  
  Dundee has run FADD since 2011, slowly growing each year, with different artists volunteering to run the project over the years. The past two years we’ve reached over 100 people taking part! We’ve been supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland in our most recent years, enabling us to acquire a team to run FADD, to provide paid opportunities, public activities, and support our community in more ways outwith our January project.

• 2. Where Does FADD Take Place?
  
  We are based online. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. In anticipation of January starting we share previous participant stories, general information about us, and give you time to sign up to take part. During January over these accounts, we encourage and cheer you all on, share on going projects, and provide general information. Following January we share updates and opportunities as well as launching our showcase of participant projects. This is typically as a public exhibition in person, but due to covid, our last 2 years were online showcases. We’re excited to have an in person event again this year!

• 3. What Do I Do?
  
  You can do whatever you like in January! Some people decide on a simple and focused project and others take each day as it comes, doing something different each day/week. Examples of previous projects:
  – Working on one painting or a series of paintings
  – Focusing on a new hobby
  – Working on a physical activity (sports, yoga, walking, dancing etc)
  – Taking the time to play an instrument
  – Reading a book/books
  – Modelling/construction
  – Writing
  – Photography
  – Digital design/film making
  – Documenting every day life
  – Playing with cereal (photos)
  – Art with kids (family)
  – Using waste (recycling) to make visual art
  – Cooking
  – Crochet/knitting
  – Craft
  – and much more!
  
  We hope whatever you choose, whether it be to focus on the one thing, or try a variety of projects, that you have fun, and it provides you with an achievable goal! There are no strict rules to make time every day as we know all schedules look different. We’d suggest making a plan to allocate time when it suits you best, and sticking to that rather than waiting until you have free time as the weeks can go by quite quickly!

4. Who Can Take Part?

Anyone! This project is widely accessible. It’s free and anyone can sign up. We’ve had ages 0 – 80! Many families take part, as have students, part time workers, full time workers, stay at home, self employed, those in the arts, those who aren’t involved in arts, artists, and non-artists, those with experience in creative work, and those with none. What’s great about FADD, is that we’re all on the same level, using this project as an excuse to do something we enjoy.

5. Do I Have To Be In Dundee?

No! We welcome anyone to join in. As far as we’re aware, we’re the only FADD in the UK, so we encourage the fun to those far and near. Over the years we’ve had participants from all across Scotland, England and the globe joining us!

6. When Does It Happen?

FADD 2022 officially starts on the 1st January and runs to the 31st January. We know life isn’t always plain sailing, and it’s typically a busy holiday, so it’s ok to take the first week to get started. Best thing to do is to think/plan in advance so that you can get started when you do find the time. Once in motion, document what you’re up to, and feel free to share with the FADD community online (over our platforms listed above) using the hashtag #FADD2022.

7. Do I Have To Share Online?

Some people like to post each thing that they do, or post every day. Other share less often, and some not at all. It’s a personal project, so it’s up to you how you document/share it. If you’re not keen on being publicly open with yours, but would like to connect with the FADD team, you can always email us your progress privately.

8. Do I Have To Make Work Every Day?

No. Each project is different as well as our schedules so we couldn’t expect the same documentation, the same progress, or final outcomes. However, making small goals (often deadlines) for yourself is a great way to build up to a large achievement. Some people aim for 20 mins a day, others make time every second day, and some find it easier to put aside many hours every 4-5 days.

9. Who Is FADD?

Sam Sherriff (sambaxterart) has been the coordinator for the past 6 years after taking part herself as a participant in 2015. Sam loved how relaxed and welcoming FADD was and wanted to carry on the tradition and reach out to more people! This year (2022) the team is made up of Sam, Hannah Wingfield, Leah Gurr, Kirsty Baxter, and Jilly Noble, assisted by volunteers who are mostly previous participants as well. Check out our page here for the full run down of FADD leaders.

10. How Do I Sign Up?

Say “I’d like to sign up please!” in an email to us: funadaydundee@gmail.com.
We send all necessary information about the project to our participants via email.

11. What Is The FADD Exhibition?

Each year we showcase FADD projects made by participants in a fun, casual and exciting showcase to the public. We aim to exhibit every project, including those that have 31 individual pieces. We love to share the variety and all the personal stories in the one place. It’s always a fun and inspiring weekend. We also have some of our participants taking part in the form of performances, talking to visitors, sharing their skills at craft stations and helping out over the exhibition weekend. We create a community online over the project, and it blossoms at our public ‘social meets’ and exhibition. Last year, and for our 2020 our showcase we moved it all online providing zoom performances, artist sessions, competitions and activities.

• If you’re interested in seeing more…
  
• Check out Participant Stories to hear what others have to say about FADD,
• See some photos of previous exhibitions here,
• Scroll through content posted to Instagram prom previous years: 2021 – 2020 – 2019 – 2018
• Read some testimonials about the project and exhibition,
• Browse some press articles,
• And check out our branch off: FADDCreatives which was formed during the covid lockdown this year.