Skip to content

Local group seeks ideas for digital project on food history

Ashlee Cooper, co-chair of The Food System Resiliency Table (the Table), said the project will share stories of food activism in Guelph and Wellington County
Agri-foodResearch
Stock image

Update: Deadline extended until Oct. 31

A group from Our Food Future is hungry for ideas on how to capture the history of food activism and environment in a creative way.

The Food System Resiliency Table (the Table) is a regional food policy and working group with Our Food Future. Currently, the Table is seeking an artist to oversee the development of a digital project about the oral history of food and food activism within Guelph and Wellington County.

In a news release, the Table defines ‘activism' as  the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning, advocacy, and care to bring about political or social change. If chosen, the artist will accompany community partners in gathering and recording stories about the land, water, animals, people and events that are part of that history.

Ashlee Cooper, co-chair of the Table and part of Our Food Future, said the group has been meeting over the past 10 months and plans to hold its first public meeting this fall. Through these meetings, she said one idea of acknowledging, collecting and celebrating this history emerged.

“I think there’s a really rich history here of people leading systems change, leading food system work, and often we get focused on the policies or the programs that come out of that work, but behind all those great policies and programs are people. People that deeply understand what's happening in the food system through maybe lived experience or work experience, but often get overshadowed by the work,” said Cooper.

"For us, this is a way to celebrate all that happens behind the scenes and also, celebrate those people who have dedicated their lives in some way to protecting our food system, protecting the land, protecting the water, protecting all of the creatures and the ecology. I mean, there's kind of layers to that food system work that go beyond the memorial," continues Cooper. "We want to bring forth that passion and community of people who deeply care about food and the people in our community."

Cooper said artists do not need formal training, but should be over the age of 18 and open to working with the Table and communities. They are also looking for artists who have an interest in audio storytelling, documentary work and digital media experience. 

“We’re looking for a community artist who has passion and experience in designing a community process,” said Cooper, noting they wanted to share stories from different cultures and generations.

“Our hope is that being able to share our stories is a more accessible medium, for not just the listener, but also the person who is offering their story to share."

Cooper said the Table is envisioning the final result to be a digital mural or collage with audio and visual elements. Once finished, the project will be unveiled at an in-person event. It will be incorporated into future presentations, conferences and online events for the Table, which are expected to reach thousands of residents.

"We certainly have goals on really sparking a rich dialogue about the circular economy and the circular food economy in the region. We have a ton of work to do in that area, but this project lends itself well to sparking a conversation and also just building up and supporting all the amazing work that's happened here in the past and that's happening now," said Cooper.

The Table will be accepting artist submissions until Oct. 31 and will begin interviews for the project spring of 2023. Submission requirements can be found at this link.

To learn more about the Table, visit foodfuture.ca.