Kitchens Migrate to Palmerston North

Bhutanese, Filipino, Russian, Cook Island, Zimbabwean &  French communities  - Sharing Food Sharing Culture

The Migrating Kitchen’s celebration has become a bi-annual feature at Porirua’s Pataka Museum, but in April and May another Migrating Kitchen event is happening at Te Manawa Museum in Palmerston North. Its a first for the Manawatu and the first time the event has been staged out of Wellington, but the support of The Migrating Kitchen Trust and enthusiasm of a local committee have ensured its off to a good start. The Trust has even migrated its kitchen north for the event!

Palmerston North City Council creative communities grants awards. Front row centre: Migrating Kitchen PN co-ordinator, Christine Coles, and Nirmala Nand, President of Multi-Ethnic Council, PN

Our event kicks off on March 30 with a get-together for all the participating communities. Guest speaker is Tony Simpson the well-known researcher and presenter on New Zealand food and its origins, author of A Distant Feast. The celebration will be formally opened by City Councillor Tangi Utikere and there will be performances and food platters to set the tone for the following six weeks.

Next day, Saturday 31 March, the event opens to the public. First community to take over the migrated kitchen and display space for a week will be the Bhutanese, who begin their cultural celebration with a cooking demonstration (starts 2 pm). In subsequent weeks the local communities taking centre stage will be fromZimbabwe, the Philippines, France, Russia and the Cook Islands. Each community are planning their own set of artifacts and activities so other New Zealanders can sample and enjoy some of the diverse cultural experiences these migrant communities have brought with them.

Visitors to the Migrating Kitchen Exhibition at Te Manawa (open 10 am-5 pm weekdays) will be able to study an especially prepared display about each of the participating communities and view a 10 minute film of each community. These introduce the families, who explain how they came to be in New Zealand, show food and cooking and how the local community get together for religious, cultural or social events that help keep some of their traditions alive. Three new films are currently being made for this event about communities that have not participated before in the Migrating Kitchen Exhibition.

It’s all building up to a great six weeks of celebration of food and culture showcasing the rich contribution new migrant communities can make to Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Migrating Kitchen Exhibition 2012

March 30 March 2012 until 5 May Open 10 am-5 pm weekdays At: Te Manawa Gallery, 326 Main Street, Palmerston North Exhibition coordinator: Christine Coles Email: [email protected] Watch this space for updates!

The Argentinians treated visitors to empanadas, alfajores, and rice pudding, ending with a trio whose music had us tango dancing in the gallery.

   

     

More photos by Alden Williams       

The previous week the Tongans at the Migrating Kitchen filled the Pataka gallery with beauty, joy - and generosity of spirit.
Then there was the feast which entertained and fed an overflowing gallery!

        More photos on Facebook       Check out photos by Alden Williams 

Migrating Kitchen entertained visitors at Wellington airport yesterday. We kicked off with Eddie Peterson and his group, Vuyisa - to bring joy in Xhosa, then Shahram Aryan's trio and the grand finale from the Tongan choir.

The South Africans & the Welsh faced off before their big clash at the Cake Tin.

 

  

  

 

 

 

  The Welsh Cuisine, Music, Arts and Crafts and then off to the airport to welcome their Welsh rugby team. 

 

   

   

   

 

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The Iranians entertained with music, Persian rugs, calligraphy, poetry and dance and of course, Iranian cooking and tasting. 

  

 

                                                                                                                                                      Check out photos by Alden Williams
 
The MK exhibition kicked off with the Japanese who entertained visitors this weekend with a beautiful Ikebana display, a tranquil tea ceremony, then a cooking demonstration in the gallery with a tasty treat for everyone.                                                              

        
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The Migrating Kitchen opened with the Welsh national anthem, which blew the last snow off Pataka Museum's roof. Visitors were entranced by the Iranian dancers, a melodic Tongan trio and stunning Argentine Tango dancers before the Mayor of Porirua Nick Leggett flung open the doors to the Migrating Kitchen exhibition and fabulous food from six ethnic kitchens.

       

         

                                                                                                        More photos on Facebook

Pataka Porirua Museum of Arts and Cultures 

Norrie Street Porirua, New Zealand map link ph 04 237-1511

Narooz - the Iranian New Year Celebrations

      

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The International Migrating Kitchen Craft Fair -10 September at Pataka