Get creative with food businesses

PAID residencies are available for keen creatives and artists at five food businesses and organisations in the region.

The 2022 Creative Gastronomy Residency Program was recently launched, linking the food and creative industries three years on from the City of Greater Bendigo becoming Australia’s first designated UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the program was designed after the Greater CREATIVE Bendigo strategy identified “a need to grow partnerships between the creative and business sector.”

“This year the City has partnered with PepperGreen Farm, Bendigo TAFE, Bridgward Grove, Silver Spoon Estate and the Bendigo Agricultural Show Society to offer five paid residencies,” she said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank these organisations for getting involved in this program and for recognising its importance and benefits.

“The City-funded residency is a fantastic opportunity for creatives and artists living, working or studying in the Bendigo region of Gastronomy to join one of our designated businesses or organisations over a one to three-month residency between May and September.”

Cr Metcalf said the residency is open to artists ranging from makers, visual artists, sound and lighting designers, writers, performers, filmmakers, digital creators and architects.

“The outcome is to creatively engage with the business or organisation in some way, either through research, stories, space, interviews, workshops, display, demonstration, technology, conversations, performance, developing ideas or work that responds to gastronomy or one of the four City of Gastronomy themes for our region,” she said.

The four themes include celebrating First Nations culture, recognising cultural and creative diversity, improving health and wellbeing and prioritising environmental sustainability.

Applications for the residency program are open until Sunday, 8 May and available at bit.ly/377JuL0.