TAKEAWAY CULTURES (2023)

422 Arts, Manchester, UK 

Lyth Arts Centre, Caithness, UK

Takeaway Cultures is an ongoing research and film project investigating the role and sociocultural function of global food cuisine takeaway outlets in the UK. Working in coordination with 422 Arts in Manchester, we undertook a series of research trips to the inner city suburbs of Rusholme, Longsight and Levenshulme. Through interviews with restaurateurs, food journalists and digital anthropologists, we began to develop a body of research examining the culinary histories and contemporary economies of takeaway food in South Manchester, particularly as they relate to digital spaces. 

In contrast to Manchester’s ethnically diverse metropolitan centre, we wanted to examine how global food cuisine takeaway outlets operated in geographically isolated areas of the UK (specifically regions outside the reach of delivery platforms such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat). We therefore undertook a research residency with Lyth Arts Centre (the UK’s most northerly mainland arts centre) to investigate how Scotland’s three most popular global food cuisine takeaways (Indian, Chinese and Italian) operate in Caithness.

To date, the project has manifested through several semi-performative research presentations in Manchester and Scotland, and is the subject of an ongoing film project considering the commodification and commercialisation of culture through cuisine; that is, food qua cultural artifact. A short extract featuring an interview with digital anthropologist Dr Jolynna Sinanan can be viewed here. Her words appear over footage filmed at Paratha Hut, Manchester.

Takeaway Cultures has been supported by Arts Council England and Creative Scotland.