CULTURAL CROSS-COLLABORATION: FOOD, MUSIC, FILM, MUSEUMS, POETRY, PAINTING

The role of food in the creative economy has been posted a number of times in this blog. Over the past year I have been observing the creative food events from Scandinavian countries and have enjoyed observing the mix between food and other creative sectors.

Nordic Food introduced "The Nordic Sound Bite" at the Ja Ja Ja Festival in London, UK, November 2013 -- a two day celebration of Nordic music, film and food.
The Nordic Sound Bite is a mix of music and food; a collaboration between food artists and musicians. Food artists designed, prepared and delivered special "sound-bites" representing "20 seconds of the DNA sound" from five of the music bands playing at the Ja Ja Ja festival (Mew, NONONO, Sin Fang, Sakaris and Astra Kid). The "Morning Sound Bite", for example, were Nordic sweets stuck to a balloon. Organizers see a future in providing sound bites at events either as a warm up or as an extra level of consciousness when you listen to the music.

In 2012 the New Nordic Food II Scandinavian programme started an unlikely project to mix food and museums. Anyone for Swedish meatballs with a cream sauce and lingonberries, and "Nobel" ice cream, served at the Nobel Museum's Bistro Nobel (locally produced, organic and "fairtrade" food)?

What these Nordic experiments can teach us is that new forms of cultural expression and identity can emerge when we combine unlikely partners. We have something special to express about our corner of the world. We need to discover, celebrate and support other forms of local, cultural cross-collaboration -- such as between poet Steve Skafte and painter Wally Shishkov of the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia.