I started on this course when a milestone birthday was approaching, and I looked inward to pinpoint my regrets and what I would change. There were only two things that I wanted to put right that I was able to.
Firstly, I was never able to go travelling so I muscled in on a section of my son’s travelling. After graduating and working in the city and always pursuing a military career he was offered a placement in Afghanistan. This journey would be a special time for us both, so we travelled through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in Autumn 2018. He is now off to Sandhurst in May next year.
Secondly, at the age of 18 I was offered a place a Central St Martin’s to do Graphic Design. Cultural pressure meant that I had to turn this down and go to a university nearer home so that I could stay at home. I disliked my time there and knew the value of an education at UAL. I know that my career opportunities would have been different and although I have made a success of my career it has been a real challenge. So, I applied to MAAI and was delighted to be a part of CSM.
When I started on the course, I had newly been made aware of my mum’s terminal illness who passed away as I was halfway through my course. Naturally this was a period of life reflection and purpose for me. The 3 themes that kept surfacing for me of Food, culture and stories all link back to her. Food because I grew up watching with her all the cookery programmes on TV. She was determined to teach me how to be a good cook to be a domestic success. I look back now and I realise that the truth was that she actually was not a natural cook and learnt the hard way. Culture because I am so steeped in culture and can see its chains but also the beauty. My curiosity about how other live fascinates me. Memoires because I know how important it is for me to capture the memories of myself, my parents and grandparents. If these are not recorded, then they will be lost forever, and my children will never know the amazing lives and experiences that they had.
Food-Connect
I plan to continue work on the branding with Paloma and get the website, Instagram and Facebook set up. I want to develop my logo to incorporate the connect loop as the concept. I am getting ready to sell Garam Masala on my site through Etsy. This is my creative output for my personal story.
Continue to work with my local community and get stories and recipes to put on the website. I hope to create a cookbook with seasonal recipes called ‘Allotment stories’.
I would like to finish interviews with local food outlet traders and compile an article for the website with stories and recipes.
Once I have a lot of material then I would like to approach supermarket magazines to do features.
I hope to collaborate with textile design, surface pattern and product design at UAL and set them briefs using spice and food. I would like to come up with a range of stationery, diaries, kitchen utensils, aprons and tea towels.
I would like to run workshops maybe through Academic Support or the Language Centre. To pursue the British Council community collaborations with Manchester University student workshops.
I am keen to adjust the workshops to be suitable for school children and approach schools to do them.