Meet. Eat. Art.
Providing a recipe for community integration, newly arrived migrants and locals are cooking together and sharing skills through monthly community kitchens.
The Local Challenge
The Cambridge Bar Hill Hotel, based in a small village outside Cambridge, serves as temporary housing for newcomers seeking sanctuary in the UK. Unfortunately, they lack funds for car travel due to limited financial resources, and navigating on foot or by bicycle is not safe due to inadequate infrastructure. Despite welcoming efforts from the local church and community centre, suspicion persists within the wider community. This collaboration between the library and community centre aims to address these challenges, particularly integrating newcomers who face societal barriers and fostering community cohesion.
The Initiative What’s Next?
Working together, the library and Bar Hill Community Association are launching a monthly community kitchen. Working together with newcomers, they are choosing culturally relevant recipes and sourcing local ingredients. Newcomers and local residents then cook together, share culinary skills and eat together. Following the meal, the initiative is cooking up a diverse arts programme at the library featuring music, puppetry, crafts and dance, chosen by the community. These free events are building friendships and community spirit. Library staff also support and connect participants with additional resources, helping to improve well-being and integration for newcomers who are navigating the asylum processes.
What’s Next?
Moving forward, the initiative hopes to create strengthened community bonds and enhanced integration between newcomers and locals, inspiring sustained cultural celebrations and ongoing engagement through food-sharing and arts activities. This collaborative approach aims to create lasting connections and mutual understanding, laying the foundations for continued community support and cultural exchange. The initiative seeks to position the library as a dynamic hub for multicultural interaction, promoting inclusivity and resilience within the local community.
Contact theeuropechallenge@culturalfoundation.eu if you have any questions or want to be connected with the team behind the project.
