For Immediate Release 10 October 2016

A Communal Loaf - The Revolution Will Be Baked

11.00am - 3.00pm Saturday 22 October

At Cultivate Christchurch Urban Farm, 156 Peterborough St. Christchurch

The project A Communal Loaf explores the world of bread. From growing the grain to enjoying a delicious freshly baked loaf of bread. And everything in between.

On Saturday 22 October at Cultivate Christchurch’s Urban Farm site people are invited to bring an empty 2 litre drink bottle to grow a few stalks of wheat, or a loaf or two by turning some of their garden over to wheat, the seed will be provided free. (A square metre of wheat equals a loaf of bread). This will be the launch of the project.

As the wheat grows their will be a series of workshops and creative activities that will provide an opportunity for participants to learn about wheat growing, bread making, developing a community bakery and all things bread related.

When the wheat is ready for harvesting there will be a communal threshing, milling and baking day where the communal loaf will be baked.

Background

As people become more concerned about where there food comes from and how it is produced A Communal Loaf is encouraging Christchurch to grow a loaf of bread, though the project is not going to put the supermarkets out of business anytime soon, it will look at the whole bread making process from the growing of the wheat to the baking of the bread.

It will look at why do we need up to 30 ingredients in a loaf of bread? What is driving the rise in gluten intolerance? and many other aspects of bread making that has a long and fascinating history and a staple of many cultures around the world.

Biography

Simon Gray is an artist and long-term bread maker, who has worked on community based art projects for the past 20 years and recently has worked with Letting Space a Wellington based initiative that “transforms the relationship between artists, the public and their environments to enable social change”. Where he produced the project ‘Breadmakers of Porirua, Unite!’ that worked with people and communities across Porirua, as part of TEZA 2015 a multiform arts event.

A Communal Loaf is a collaboration with Cultivate Christchurch to grow wheat and supported by Life in Vacant Spaces.

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