World Feast at Durham University
For the past four years, Hey! Food is Ready has had the privilege of curating World Feast, an annual highlight of Durham University’s Global Week. This university-wide celebration brings together international communities, cultural practitioners, and audiences to explore global heritage and creativity.
World Feast is more than a culinary event. It is a participatory cultural programme that transforms food into a medium for storytelling, memory, and connection. Each year, we bring together chefs and community cooks from across the North East to present dishes rooted in their heritage, from the spices of Egypt and Jamaica to the flavors of Morocco, Bangladesh, Portugal, and Mauritius. These meals are carefully curated to not only showcase diverse cuisines but also to tell the stories behind them: family traditions, migration journeys, and cultural practices that span generations.
The event attracts over 1,000 participants annually, making it one of the largest public cultural programmes within Global Week. Attendees do more than taste, they engage, listen, and learn. Through interactive cooking demonstrations, storytelling, and shared dining experiences, the audience becomes an active participant in the celebration of global culture. The act of sharing food becomes a form of cultural performance, where every dish is a living testament to heritage and creativity.
Our four-year collaboration with Durham University demonstrates sustained recognition of the value of participatory arts and culinary heritage in cultural programming. Each year, we refine the curation to highlight the artistry, innovation, and authenticity of the cooks involved. The programme positions food as an artistic and cultural medium, connecting university audiences with regional communities and creating meaningful intercultural dialogue.
World Feast exemplifies how food, heritage, and participatory practice intersect within contemporary cultural programming. It shows that public engagement with art and culture does not need to be confined to galleries or theatres—heritage can be experienced, felt, and shared around a table. By centering chefs and community cooks as cultural curators, the programme transforms dining into an immersive cultural experience, bridging communities through creativity, storytelling, and shared participation.
Looking ahead, we are excited to continue expanding World Feast, exploring new narratives, cuisines, and participatory formats. The project reflects not only the diversity of the North East but also the power of food as a vehicle for cultural expression, artistic practice, and meaningful connection.
