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Over the course of the Dining Room project, we have been working towards a sharing day – sharing some of our thinking around food and heritage with the wider community. Coinciding with Refugee week, we decided to host Rochdale’s first ever Dumpling Day as a means to bring together different communities and reflect on our learning.
Why choose dumplings? – Dumplings are found in countries across the globe, they are a food that unites different cultures and are a way for us to celebrate the rich communities that make Rochdale their home.
Setting up camp in Rochdale’s Ukrainian Centre, we hosted a day of activities including dumpling tasting from Ukrainian, Caribbean and Nigerian cooks, Iranian and Chinese dumpling making with Heart&Parcel, decorative saltdough dumpling making with artist Aliyah Hussain, designing dumpling characters and stories with artist Kyam, and cross stitching and crocheting dumpling patterns with Touchstones staff and the local Nitty Gritty group.
There was also the opportunity to see objects from Touchstones’ Mini Museum and archive material from Local Studies, sharing food stories from Rochdale’s past.
Throughout the day, Ukrainian folk musicians and South Asian bol and tablah players took turns to play, filling the centre with lively music and a celebratory atmosphere.
The event coincided with the Culture Co-op and Open Eye Gallery’s Home exhibition, which showcases contemporary Ukrainian photography from five Ukrainian artists. In Ukrainian culture, the dumpling holds a special significance beyond a traditional dish – they’re considered a cherished talisman. Over 150 people attended the day, having the opportunity to try a range of dumplings and learn about their global appeal.