magic happens when people come together
Whether it be to celebrate, socialize, deliberate, learn, or even commiserate, I believe that it’s in being with others, that we can truly explore our humanity. After all, it’s in relation to others that we understand ourselves, who we are, and what we value.
Food is centred in my gatherings. Planning for each event begins with just one dish or idea. I welcome you to slow down and engage with food as a social experience, cultural object, vessel for stories, and means to interrogate what we consider ordinary. I love welcoming people into a world where food-based experiences are a way to learn about each other, reach across the table, find community, and connect.
From the moment you step through that door, what’s the world I’m inviting you into? How do I want you to feel? How might I curate the environment to facilitate interactions and engagement? These are some of the questions I ask myself.
Naturally, a lot of research goes into designing each of my events. My work comes to life in many ways, including supper clubs, recipes and dishes, exhibits, posters, written pieces, and painting. I see all of these methods as a form of storytelling; after all who doesn’t love a good story?
I have collaborated with academics, restaurants and bars, community animators, and other gatherers.
my approach
projects
The Gathering Spot: The driving question behind The Gathering Spot experiences is: What happens when people come together to learn about other cultures through food?
Launched in 2023, The Gathering Spot is an initiative I run, borne out of a desire to build social cohesion in a multicultural context. As a Toronto native, I simply can’t see a meaningful future if we don’t take intentional opportunities to get to know one another. Learn more about a few of my events here:
1. Comfort Food: A Taste of Home and Adventure
2. The Story of Vietnam Through Food
The Scarborough Food Story: This interactive exhibit explores the origins of Scarborough’s multicultural landscape, celebrating all the people who make it a thriving place. The project was funded by the City of Toronto as one of the local celebration projects for the FIFA World Cup. Read more about it here.
Food Tours: Toronto has an incredibly diverse food scene and it deserves a storyteller. I’ve designed numerous food tours that explore food and stories in the Downtown Yonge neighbourhood. I have also built self-guided food experiences in Scarborough, Kensington Market, and Downtown Yonge. Every tour is built to contextualize the story of Toronto.
CAFS GTA Local Chapter: I’m a co-host for this recently launched local chapter of the Canadian Association for Food Studies. We host events and gatherings with the aim of bringing together people interested in food studies and/or learning about issues behind our food systems.
Diana Chu 