“Open Kitchens” took place in July 2019 and is a continuation of a series of events presented in previous “Pame Kaimakli” editions (“Open Doors”, “Open Windows”, “Open Courtyards”). An open call addressing Kaimakli residents, artists, social practitioners, activists, academics was launched asking the public for the development of activities together with the migrant community of the area.
“Open Kitchens” was a unique dining experience where residents of Kaimakli, from diverse ethnic backgrounds and a passion for cooking, were hosted in the homes of local residents’ to stage dinners from around the world. Chefs from Italy, Somalia, Japan, Syria, Philippines, China, and the Carribean were hosted in seven houses in the neighborhood. In total, 77 participants from 15 different nationalities, from diverse paths of life and ages from 15-86 years old participated and distributed evenly amongst them the seven dinners.
The food prepared and served was intentionally vegetarian in order to further increase awareness about the impact of raising animals while in a climatic emergency state, and a proposal to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle. This was challenging for chefs and participants, yet unsurprisingly, and according to the participants, it was a successful attempt demonstrating alternative, healthier and possibly tastier eating habits.
After the selection of the participants, UG acted as the mediator between invited chefs and hosts with regular meetings in order to finalize the identity of the activity based on the uniqueness of each chef and host. UG also acted as a matchmaker between involved participants and hosts, in an attempt to distribute people of different ages, nationalities and backgrounds evenly in the 7 houses.
The gathering and the assignment of the participants to houses and chefs took place at the traditional coffee shop at the church square of the old Kaimakli neighbourhood. All the participants were involved in the preparation and the cooking following the instructions of the chefs. During the cooking and the ensuing dinner, the participants discussed various issues about the act of eating as a catalyst for socializing and bringing together people, that otherwise would have never found an opportunity to meet. They also brainstormed with ideas for the forthcoming festival.
Even though dining with complete strangers, the process of food preparation made it easy to connect. People shared relevant stories personal, communal, ethnic expressed through dancing and singing and other spontaneous activities. The moderators of each group documented the ideas and proposals and shared them with the participants during a wrap-up gathering at the end of the event. This took place back at the coffee shop, where the traditional local sweet “mahalepi” was served. The participants expressed an unprecedented enthusiasm for the whole event, while through testimonies, it seems that it might have been the first time that many immigrants felt like part of the neighborhood’s community.
“Open Kitchens” is a co-creation tool in the form of cooking and dining launched by Urban Gorillas. It aims to enhance the participatory aspect of the upcoming “Pame Kaimakli” 2020 festival by building a dialogue amongst diverse groups of people in a relaxed and inclusive manner. At the same time, it celebrates the cultural layers of the neighborhood of Kaimakli through the launch an open invitation for sharing stories, visions and tasty food.