What can you expect at a Feast?
A Dialogue and Food Creation Process
When folks think of professional development, team building, or leadership development, it can bring up feelings of being uncomfortable, not engaging, or worse, a waste of time! Feasts of Liberation is a method that brings together meaningful conversation and a food creation process. Small groups collaboratively prepare a simple yet flavorful dish e.g., Shakshuka, Kookoo Sabzi, or Mini Avocado Toasts). The simplicity of the dish ensures the focus remains on the dialogue, not the culinary complexity, and frees participants to engage with one another in rich conversation. The model for how we engage in this work follows four steps in which small groups or teams collaboratively prepare a simple dish while engaging in reflection and guiding questions.
1: Setting the table: Gathering and learning about the ingredients
As a group, we will spend time reviewing and discussing the elements of the dish we’ll prepare together in two parts. First, as chefs co-creating something delicious, filling, and meaningful, we will reflect and learn about what the different elements bring to the dish (salty, fat and flavor, acidity, or some heat). Part of our recipe review will also include engaging in a discussion about how colonialism has impacted their journey to our respective tables. Second, this time will be spent engaging in community building with questions and discussions to better know and understand your fellow participants, what elements they bring to the table through their assets, lived experiences, and intersecting identities
2: Mise en place: Prepare the ingredients to transform them into something scrumptious, harmonious and full of flavor
While we prepare the ingredients - chopping, peeling, marinating, organizing, and beating, etc.- participants will deepen our conversation with driving questions that create the opportunity to discuss with one another: “What work is required for myself and in community to build and sustain a work culture that is transformational and rooted in inclusion, equity, and joy?” These guided conversations will provide the space and opportunity for folks to consider, observe, and discuss the ways that White Supremacy Culture and colonial ideologies impact our values, decisions, and culture, and in turn, how we show up in our workspaces. Throughout this process, we will work to identify preliminary ideas about what work/new learning can best support needs in addressing barriers to equity, liberation, and sustainability.
3: Alchemy: What new sparks can catalyze a collection of ingredients and people into something transformational?
While our dish is cooking, so will participants! In small and whole group discussions, participants will gain new learning through different strategies, protocols, and structures that push back and interrupt oppressive practices, center BIPOC and historically marginalized community needs, and collectively work towards developing strategic priorities that reflect a more liberated vision of work culture that is responsive to individual and communal needs. Depending on the needs of the team, talking points can be easily customized to specific challenges or goals.
4: Feast! Take time to enjoy the company, shared efforts, renewed learning, and close with gratitude and reflections about what is nourishing you both mind and body.
After participants have finished enjoying a meal together and setting a solid foundation to then build upon, the work of building cultures of belonging requires sustained effort and nourishment, and, custom consulting services can continue based on the team’s goals, mission, and vision for how to move the work forward. These trainings can be in person, virtual, and customizable!
Interested in learning more?
Please email directly at info@feastsofliberation.com to schedule a 30-minute consultation. This is a way for us to know and introduce one another better, hear a little more about what you’re seeking, and how we might work together!