In spring 2020, the network and the company EAT Umeå offer new cooking experiences in Umeå's cultural center, Väven. Behind the initiative is founder Leena Naqvi, who has worked for several years to establish a strong network of people who are passionate about both cooking and sharing their culture. EAT Umeå wants to show the strength of the shared meal and bring people and cultures closer together.
When the architect Leena Naqvi came from Pakistan to Sweden ten years ago she quickly discovered the power of meeting over a bite to eat. The experience led Leena started The Eat Project a few years later - with the aim of understanding and working with cultural identity, migration and oral storytelling tradition. A year later, in 2016, the company EAT Umeå was founded on the same foundation, which over the years has built a solid network of people who are passionate about culture and the art of cooking - from all corners of the world.
EAT Umeå wants to bring people closer together through unique cooking classes where the experience and conversation are always at the centre.
- I started using cooking as a tool to create natural meeting places for conversations, sharing experiences and experiences," says Leena Naqvi, founder of EAT Umeå. Cooking is an important identity-forming cultural symbol with enormous potential to bring people together on a deeper level, create understanding and arouse curiosity. Something happens to us when we share a meal and also get to help in the process of creating it, Leena says.
Under spring 2020, EAT Umeå is taking a major step forward with four new cooking experiences in Kulturhuset Väven - where everyone is welcome. Through her cooking and storytelling the women in the network invite participants to encounter their part of the world in a unique and personal level.
- Our meetings are about so much more than just following a recipe - they're about the people and their stories, the little cultural quirks, the smells, the textures and making connections. It's an amazing process that I'm convinced gives new perspectives and builds bridges between people," says Leena.
All participants in the cooking courses are involved in preparing the food together. Meanwhile an insight into the culture that is represented, through stories and conversations to recipes and cooking techniques.
Upcoming courses:
1 February
7 March
4 April
9 May
All courses take place between 11:00-13:00.
SNABBFAKTA:
Name: Leena S Naqvi
Age: 34
Origin: Karachi, Pakistan (approx. 22 million inhabitants)
Education: Has a Master's degree in Sustainable Architecture Design
Family: Lives with her husband Sangram and their one-year-old daughter Aria
For more information about EAT Umeå and current offers visit www.eatumea.com.
Contact
Leena Naqvi, leena.naqvi@gmail.com
