A __________ at the Table:

Food Futures For All

Food is something that connects us all and is both deeply personal and inherently political. Food has many purposes and many forms and yet the systems we design to facilitate our relationships to our food struggle to meet our pluralistic needs and desires. When we dive into the things that matter to us most we bring to light the intersecting complexities of our ecological and human-made systems. We invite you to consider what object or material connects you to your own cherish food story and to share it with us in our embedded community studio at Sectie-C where we will map the many stories of this food landscape. Perhaps it is a certain ceramic dish, a method of cooking, a recipe, a way of sitting in communion with others. Whatever it might be there is space for it at our table.

Relational Mapping Method

This relational mapping practice uses stories and objects to visualize the possible equitable futures for communities connected through food systems. Materials and artefacts have inherent value to them, and can help us articulate what we would perhaps otherwise not be able to express. Objects also hold stories that speak to our humanity rather than our political predispositions. Inspired by the visual language of Delftware, blue paint markers and quick dry clay will be on hand for those who wish to map their stories into the food story landscape.

Participatory Design Approach

To simply co-design with a few key actors is not enough, but a larger more open system invites greater complexity. Therefore, the ways in which we give everyone a seat at the decision making table is an act of relationship and requires great care and rules of engagement to ensure safe and fair participation. This approach of democratising design in pursuit of our collective food futures was piloted in Glasgow in 2022 in partnership with The Glasgow School of Art and The Centre for Civic Innovation. It is now an award winning Global Case Study with the Service Design Network. We look forward to seeing you take a seat at the table from Oct 21-27.