This Is Nelson is the people and cultural strand of the Nelson Town Deal co-led by In-Situ and Building Bridges in Nelson, Lancashire. Between January and May 2023, Dana was artist in residence doing community research alongside Sam Jones, Michael Powell, Kristina Borg and Andy Abbott. 

Focusing on food systems, over five months she spoke to primary school children; college students; women who have sought asylum in the town; individuals who are passionate about food; food business owners and employees; people who run services supporting those who cannot afford to purchase food; youth workers; artists; food-growing educators; horticulturists; and civil servants. While ecosystems of care have been crafted to sustain wider communities in the area, little is done to enable these initiatives to become self-sustaining, autonomous, or permanent.  

As part of the closing weekend which showcased the four commissioned artists' research, Dana organised an experimental food festival co-created with locals. She shared the remainder of her budget for the commission with anyone interested in cooking a dish for the festival. The dish had to be made within a budget of £20 and with sustainable ingredients in an attempt to decipher what that meant to everyone. Over 25 people attended, some brought food, others participated in the discussion, and everyone all ate together at the end.

The sharing of stories behind the ideas of sustainability connected various threads in the room. These included:

• passing down traditions and preserving recipes from family members

• growing their own food to avoid reliance on produce from shops 

• foraging herbs and learning to make in-house versions of staples such as buttermilk

• cooking traditional dishes that reminded some of their homelands

• purchasing ingredients from independent and local shops

• creating dishes out of ingredients found in the cupboard or fridge to save money

• reflecting on workers’ conditions and understanding to read behind labels when corporations brand certain items as ‘sustainable’.

When conservative policies obstruct long-termism, how can the current food system be redesigned? What would Nelson’s food system look like if it was governed by locals? 

A thought-piece detailing research findings is freely accessible here.

Photo credits: Diane Muldowney