We made a series of community conversations to explore the evolution of food in diverse Ukrainian urban communities as a way to understand issues of sustainability, change, and community. Food is not just a product, but rather a symbol of identity and a direct reflection of the human condition. By exploring the level and nature of food practices and relationships with food, we better understand how cultures and populations have adapted to change.

Project Objectives:

• To stimulate dialogue between Ukrainians and Americans on issues of culture and food sustainability and security by recalling individual food-related memories and exploring larger issues of change.
• To gather information and prospective questions for future exhibitions in the United States and Ukraine on the topic of food and culture in Ukraine.
The project events tok place in four cities in Ukraine:
Kyiv, Donetsk, Odesa, Lviv
In each city, 30-50 participants gathered for the meeting, representing different generations, ethnic and cultural groups, professional and non-professional attitudes towards cooking.
Meeting format:
• Conversation. Using the “Dialogue Arch” methodology, American and Ukrainian participants will briefly share their vision, observations, and knowledge. After that, the discussion will continue at four tables in a more detailed format. In conclusion, a representative of each “table” will present the main ideas of the discussion.
• “Memories in Food”. The organizers will ask participants to share their own memories of food in writing through an informal questionnaire or by compiling a “timeline” of memories on the wall, where each participant will be able to leave their own memories according to the decade.
• Video interview. We would like to conduct short (2 minute) interviews with some of the participants before or after the event.
The project is led by Linda Norris, a specialist in museums and exhibitions, as well as cultural heritage conservation, a Fulbright Scholar 2009-2010, and Sarah Crowe, a researcher in rural communities and sustainable development, a Fulbright Scholar 2008-2009. Both have experience working in Ukraine as researchers and advisors.