The Food Bridge vzw is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Flemish organization, Amarant vzw  based in Gent Belgium. Amarant’s work  is dedicated to making art and culture accessible and self-evident, even in places where this is less apparent. By providing a platform for social change and creating spaces for new perspectives, Amarant aligns with The Food Bridge’s belief that the stories we tell and the art we create are vital in helping us understand our world and connect with others. These narratives and artistic expressions can be through various forms, so must be inclusive and reflective of diverse experiences.

The Food Bridge and Amarant have in partnership developed some activities that will take place in Gent from now until December 2025.

1. Welcome to My Home

In this program, we explore the concept of feeling at home across different cultures, both as guests and hosts. We explore how people welcome guests into their homes under various circumstances and what factors influence these interactions. Are you formal, very friendly, or do you prefer not to have visitors at all?

Through an open call, we invite people to share how they receive guests in their homes. Do you schedule appointments in advance, greet guests at the front door, or is it acceptable for them to enter through the back door? Do you offer a cup of coffee, a glass of water, or start preparing food immediately? Are guests expected to remove their shoes, with slippers provided, or is it more of a "mi casa es tu casa" atmosphere?

The insights gathered from this call will be shared on our website and social media platforms. Feeling welcome can be a spontaneous experience, yet it is often laden with meaning. In today's world, feeling welcome everywhere is increasingly challenging. To address this, we are organizing an evening of discussion on this topic, preceded by a welcoming ceremony.

Reflective Actions in Our Program:

• Guided tours in various languages.
• A lecture on philosophy, focusing on the question, "What is a home?"

2. Invisible Knowledge

In this program, we explore historical narratives and cultural connections through the lens of coffee. Coffee has long held a significant place in history, often present at key moments across cultures. But what is it about a cup of coffee that brings people together? Together, we will investigate the role of coffee, examining how it is presented, brewed, and consumed in different contexts. Through object handling, dialogue sessions, and tasting experiences, we will uncover the stories that highlight why coffee has the power to connect us. This journey will be captured through photographs and drawings, offering a visual and narrative record of our exploration. We will host three sessions to delve into these themes.

Reflective Actions in Our Program:

• Collaborating with retirement homes to gather stories through object handling.
• A lecture or film screening focused on food heritage.
• Public tasting sessions at designated times.

3. Calling My Mother

This project focuses on the intangible cultural heritage of cooking traditions passed down through generations, which are crucial for preserving cultural diversity and fostering connections in our increasingly interconnected world. These culinary traditions not only reveal what foods are eaten but also how they are prepared and consumed. It explores the motivations behind our food choices, considering taste, nutrition, traditions, beliefs, and social norms.

"Calling My Mother" is an intergenerational project that invites young adults who have recently started living independently to connect with their mothers, grandmothers, or anyone who traditionally prepares home-cooked meals. Participants are encouraged to reach out and collect these treasured recipes, which will be compiled and recorded in a published book. Personal instructions and unique touches will be highlighted in this publication, preserving the essence of these culinary legacies.

Reflective Actions in Our Program:

• A lecture on the diaspora of food.
• A guided tour that explores the representation of food in an art historical context.

1. Share a piece of cloth

A piece of textile can have a lot of meaning. We hold on to the clothes of loved ones and the clothes used for special occassions, you can read family history in them. We plan to explore and sew these diverse stories together in the form of a quilt. We invite participants to share their meaningful piece of fabric with us and also join us to make a quilt together. There will be 4 moments under the guidance of a textile expert to make the quilt together. In the meantime, drawings are made of the sessions.

Reflective actions in our program:

• Lecture, history of textiles.
• Studio visit of a textile artist.

1. Exhibition

Finally there will be an exhibition to celebrate and show the results of our collaboration. There will be the quilt, drawings, photos and objects that were used during the previous activities. This event will be open to project participants and interested public.

TIMELINE

The projects under this partnership will be from June 2024 to December 2025. We invite interested parties to join any of the activities in the coming months.