FOOD STORIES TOWER HAMLETS – WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES TOWARDS A FAIRER FOOD SYSTEM
The full article was first published on Wen by Heidi
In January 2022, Wen and University of Sussex ran an 8-week food photography course with Tower Hamlets residents, led by Pierre Bureau of Mindful Photo Lab, which celebrates mindfulness and art to improve wellbeing and community connection.
The course was part of a new programme on the St George’s Estate, Shadwell called Food Stories Tower Hamlets. It’s all about the role food plays in our lives and the importance of history, culture and heritage to our food habits.
Food Stories Tower Hamlets is part of a 5-year research programme funded by UKRI and led by University of Reading, FoodSEqual. It involves many universities, communities and food companies working alongside communities to create a better food environment.
In essence, FoodSEqual wants to make it easier for people to access the food they want and need for happy and healthy lives. But it’s also about the environment – some foods have a higher impact on the planet than others.
At Wen, we have been running food sessions with communities across the borough for over 10 years. We’ve also led the Tower Hamlets Food Partnership since 2018. We always find that people are incredibly resourceful, resilient and generous in sharing their food knowledge and stories with us. This is something our programme will celebrate, whilst also seeking to challenge injustice within the current food system.
The University of Sussex, based near Brighton, has a track record in research on food and sustainability. Dr Elaine Swan, a feminist food researcher, lives in Tower Hamlets and has worked closely with Wen’s Local Food team for several years.
Heidi