JOAN Littlewood was a proper visionary and one of the most controversial and influential theatre directors and drama teachers of the 20th century.

Born in 1914, she was a great believer in theatre and community and happened to establish her Theatre Workshop in Kendal in 1945.

Apparently, Kendal High School provided the setting for the first performance by Joan’s touring collective.

She’s regarded by many as the mother of modern theatre and her devoted her life to putting the community at the heart of all her work.

In the early 1960s, Joan and her friend, the architect Cedric Price, developed an ambitious scheme for something they termed the Fun Palace, a concept that built on her idea of how to make ordinary lives more fun.

The idea was to repurpose an unused and unloved six-acre riverside area on the Isle of Dogs, in east London, providing a whole raft of arts and crafts, music, entertainment and learning opportunities. Joan’s vision was never realised as London County Council refused permission.

However, in 2013, artists Stella Duffy and Sarah Jane Rawlings revived Joan’s groundbreaking idea and in 2014 established Fun Palaces: a free, nationwide campaign for cultural democracy that as they describe it “promotes culture at the heart of community and community at the heart of culture.”

On Sunday, October 6, Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre hosts its very first Fun Palace.

From 11am-3pm, the free event celebrates the unique skills and passions of local people run by, for and with the local community. Activities for all the family include Stage Science where people can learn how to make theatre blood and fake booze with Claire Dunk; Do the Doodle, joining movement director Zoe Leigh Gadd and Corisande for a fun movement and poetry session; 5X5, a short film making workshop with Stuart Sutton; Go Potty, a beginners pottery session with Amy William and in Heroes, all can make their own superhero masks and capes with Kate Reid. There will also be a Mix it Up session where you try your hand at spinning those discs and DJ with Ian Trickett and there’s Shed 1 for those who would like to join Andy and Zoe Arnold-Bennet and learn about how they make their gin. Not forgetting, Where’s My Igloo, where you can get creative with the Brewery’s drop-in draw and its own Igloo competition and win tickets to one of its performances of Outside The Igloo in December.

Plus, there will be a free screening of Joan Littlewood's iconic Oh What A Lovely War!

For full details go online at www.breweryarts.co.uk or from the information desk in the Intro Bar on the day to sign up. Registration for all the workshops is open on Sunday from 10.30am.