Empowering Young People Through Cookery Workshops
Born to Perform is a Northampton and Bedford-based performing arts organisation that provides a supportive, creative environment for young people — including those with additional needs — to develop their confidence, social skills, and artistic abilities through dance, drama and singing.
Food etc empowers people to make better food choices by teaching them how to cook inexpensive, tasty and healthy meals from scratch.
Born to Perform partnered with Food etc to run a series of cookery workshops for its students. The objectives of this project were to give young people practical cooking experience and a better understanding of basic nutrition and to build confidence, teamwork and transferable life skills in a fun, hands-on setting.
Food etc designed the cookery workshops so that they were appropriate to the age and ability of the students.
- Curriculum: The sessions were structured around making healthy, affordable meals. They included a session focused on pizza, always a Food etc favourite. The young people learnt how to prepare dough and could choose from a variety of toppings.
- Engagement: To maximise engagement, the sessions were interactive: students worked in small groups, prepared ingredients together, and shared their creations at the end.
Freya York, Born to Perform’s Operations Care Manager said: “The students absolutely loved it. Jenny’s energy and knowledge around foods was wonderful to see. She explained to them the importance of a healthy diet and did a wonderful session on making healthy pizzas.”
Learning & Challenges
- Tailoring to Diverse Needs: One of the challenges was accommodating the wide range of abilities among Born to Perform students. Food etc. addressed this by breaking down tasks, offering support where required, and adjusting the pace to suit all participants.
- Resource Constraints: Running cookery workshops naturally requires adequate kitchen space, utensils, and ingredient budgets. Securing these resources within the constraints of a community organisation required careful planning and collaboration.
This partnership between Food etc. and Born to Perform has proven to be not just an enjoyable series of cookery workshops, but a meaningful intervention with lasting impact. By combining the culinary expertise of Food etc. with the creative, inclusive ethos of Born to Perform, the project delivered essential life skills, nutritional education, and a fun, positive experience for young people.
