Hungry Town: Call for papers

ACAHUCH is planning its second one-day Labour Day symposium on March 11th, this time presenting new research and directions in the field of food, place and heritage.

Dining trends come and go; the heritage of food consumption is often ephemeral. Fashions have, at turns, embraced beer gardens, wineries, the phenomenon of the celebrity chef, migrant cafes, the temperance movement, theatre restaurants, al fresco dining and more. In all cases design has played a crucial and formative part in shaping not only food culture or the built environment, but also social interaction itself.

We are seeking contributors to sessions based around themes exploring the value, purpose, form and history of spaces for the purchase, consumption and even production of food. What are the heritage values of such places and their spatial dynamics? What do they say about societies, cultures, nations and ideals? What are the inherent elements of such places - how central have they been to societies, to what extent do they ratify existing social understandings and when can they be the basis to launch new cultural change?

Sessions may be arranged under a range of themes, including the following

  • Status quo
  • Wartime and rationing
  • Palaces of opulence
  • Authenticity
  • Glamour and camp
  • Soup kitchens
  • The everyday
  • New food
  • Landscapes and footprints
  • Picnicking
  • Community and kitchen gardens

Keynote speaker for the day will be Dr Samantha Martin-McAuliffe of University College, Dublin whose edited collection Food and Architecture (2016) is described by its publisher Bloomsbury as one of the first 'to explore the relationship between these two fields of study and practice' and by one reviewer as 'a highly enticing collection of essays essential for any discussion on the intersections of taste and place.'

Please send abstracts of 250 words to contact-acahuch@unimelb.edu.au by the 21st December 2018.

More Information

Prof Hannah Lewi, A/Prof David Nichols and Mr Andrew Murray

contact-acahuch@unimelb.edu.au

83446118