People across Sheffield are set to come together in lockdown where they will be cooking Anglo-Saxon inspired recipes during the themed online dinnertime event.
The Digesting History event is set to take place online on Thursday 25th February, after the in-person event at Sheffield Central Library was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic last year.
The event will allow the audience to immerse themselves into Anglo-Saxon life with themed poetry, recipe packs and the premiere of a new film by award-winning director Eelyn Lee.
Councillor Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure said: “We’re delighted that this fabulous feast of an event is still going ahead even though in a different way because of Covid.
“This project really has the cultural identity of Sheffield at its heart. We are proud to be hosting such an innovative digital performance that people can enjoy in the comfort of their own homes.”
The project began in 2018 and was commissioned by Collections in Verse, which is a collaboration between Poet in the City and British Library.
Rachel Bower, a poet taking part, said that back in 2018 the poets visited a British Library exhibition based on the Anglo-Saxons and also conducted listening workshops with different people across Sheffield.
“I was struck by not only what was in the exhibition, but what wasn’t. There were hardly any traces of women so I my poem will reflect women then and involve the stories of women now so it doesn’t get missed again.
“It’s really exciting to see the event come together as it has been a real journey getting it to where we are now. I hope it will give people a chance to connect because one of the problems in lockdown is that everyone is so separate.
After all the hard work, I want it to be something different for people so they can take a break from normality and maybe it will give people hope for the future.”
The first 300 Sheffield residents to sign up for this event will also receive a curated package of poems and recipes delivered to their doors from interactive arts company The Bare Project.
To book for the event visit: https://www.poetinthecity.co.uk/Event/digesting-history-event
