The pop-up Somali Kitchen event was led by a group of mums, all members of SPAN (Single Parent Action Network), keen to promote healthy alternatives to the fast food on offer at the dozens of takeaways in the area, while discussing food-related issues and celebrating Somali food and culture.
The event evolved out of collaborative research project Productive Margins, which involved members of SPAN, Coexist, Knowle West Media Centre and researchers from Bristol University. As Naomi Millner, one of the researchers explained, the project is based on the idea that “if you want to influence policy and regulation that actually meets the needs of people experiencing marginalisation, poverty and so on, you need to create those agendas with people who have that experience”.
The Somali Kitchen event at the Shed on Wheels was designed and curated by Anne Marie Culhane artist on the Productive Margins food project and co-produced with Somali Women’s group at SPAN with Coexist
