Celebrating the role of food in St Paul’s

People might be physically distant, but The Architecture Centre is working with the community of St Paul’s, as well as local charities, to bring people together through food.

The Green Way project is a collaboration between The Architecture Centre, St Paul’s Learning Centre, 91 Ways to Build a Global City, St Paul’s Adventure Playground, Talo and the people and councillors of St Paul’s.

The Green Way project is celebrating the power of food to bring Bristol together, even when people are apart. The organisations involved have designed and fundraised for a series of creative improvements to The Green Way, which is a little-known walking and cycling route through St Paul’s.

The Architecture Centre, local people and charities are asking people through the city to help design the changes along the route by sharing their favourite recipes.

People of Bristol are being asked to share their recipes. Photo: 91 Ways

Some of these recipes will go on to inspire permanent artworks to accompany a series of developments around the area.

“In the coming year, lockdown depending, we are working together to make public realm and capital improvements across this route from St Agnes Park to Halston Drive (The Green Way), bringing nature and art into to these spaces and creating a place for communities to gather when the outbreak is over,” explains Sian Magill, who is working on the project.

“The recipes will then go on to inspire permanent artworks which reflect and celebrate the diversity and culinary heritage of the area. Bristolians will be able to take pictures of the recipe murals and bring them to life in their own homes.”

The organisations are working with Bristol-based artists Sophie and Rob Wheeler from Graft, who will use the community recipes gathered and shared from across the city to influence the designs and patterns that will appear at each site, visually linking The Green Way.

https://twitter.com/91Ways/status/1251105336238489601

The artworks, which will be located at St Paul’s Learning Centre, St Paul’s Adventure Playground and Halston Drive Community Centre, will both celebrate different food cultures and complement the developments along The Green Way.

“Food brings people together, especially in times of adversity,” says Anna Rutherford, director of The Architecture Centre. “Cooking keeps us connected and grounded.”

The hope is that the developed Green Way route will encourage communities to travel along a lesser known route in the area.

Cllr Jude English, one of the councillors for Ashley Ward sums up the campaign, saying: “It’s difficult times like these that remind us that friends, family, community and the food and hopeful stories that feed us are really important in nourishing and supporting us.”

Submit a recipe by emailing georgina.bolton@architecturecentre.org.uk or going to www.facebook.com/groups/579036856041747. People can either, take a photo of a written recipe (on paper or in a book), type out the recipe or take a video of you or your family member talking through your recipe. All recipes must include a list of ingredients.

Main image: Courtesy Bristol City Council. Photo: Paul Blakemore