Breaking Bread

Project outline

In 2021 the Institute began a series of projects that had links to sustainability and the environment, in response to COP26. ‘Breaking Bread’shares the results of one of these projects, produced through a partnership that involved academic Roda Madziva, writer Andy Barrett, the education charity Ignite!, Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum and most importantly a group of generous ladies who shared their stories and their culinary skills.

What we did

The project was launched with a set of workshops at Queen’s Walk Community Centre in The Meadows, Nottingham. Families were invited to come along with their children and talk about the meals and flavours that remind them of home.

Part of the series involved a day in the kitchen, where mothers joined together to cook their favourite dishes. They explained how important it is to them to source the right ingredients and to be able to continue to feed their families with their signature creations.

These conversations continued over further workshops and sessions with Andy and Roda.

In June 2022 we staged a storytelling event at Lakeside Arts, where three ladies joined Roda in sharing their experiences of living in the UK and rebuilding their lives. This was all done through the prism of food. The invited audience felt privileged to be able to listen and learn from their stories.

Conclusions and outcomes

A year on from that performance, Andy has created updated accounts to share in written form. The online publication features a section from Roda, where she reflects on her experiences as a researcher and on the need to build authentic relationships with those she hopes to work with. You can read the book online here.

It also features the ladies’ recipes, which were a huge hit!

Thanks to all partners involved in the project. Special thanks to all those who came along to the cooking workshops at Queens Walk Community Centre to share their stories; and all those who attended our event at Lakeside.