Expanding the Days of Bread through the CKP

Different cultures have different breads.

In concurrence with the UCCN XII Annual Meeting 2018 in Krakow – Katowice, ITKIUS undertook a common trans-network project (i.e. not just Cities of Gastronomy but all 180 Creative Cities) called the “Days of Bread”. The inspiration for this ITKIUS project derives from the words of the UNESCO organizers “… bread is a symbol of fecundity and miracles, generosity and sharing… bread fulfills a specific function in social and culinary culture by providing nourishment and sustenance, and its methods of preparation and associated traditions are as diverse as the world itself.” This project was presented on June 9-10, 2018 and continues through the ongoing ITKIUS project “Breads of the Creative Cities.”

For this project, Tucson City of Gastronomy, the NGO organization managing Tucson’s UNESCO Creative City designation, has partnered with ITKIUS, Krakow City of Literature and the entire UCCN to expand and enhance the Days of Bread celebration through the Creative Knowledge Platform.

The Creative Knowledge Platform was used to:

  • Tell the stories of the Bread Knowledge Keepers, including farmers, millers, artisan bakers and household cooks that all play a key role in the creation of each Creative City’s representative bread.
  • Document the creative processes of the Knowledge Keepers, utilizing a mix of text, interviews, photos and video content.
  • Create Experiential Itineraries through a dedicated smartphone application (iOS) (Android)
  • Provide content for the “Discover the Traditional Breads of the Creative Cities” publication, a booklet of recipes and background cultural knowledge that was distributed at the event. This information will also be in the final “Breads of the Creative Cities” book, a collection of all the stories gathered throughout this project.

The results of this project were a great success, with over 27 different bakers across 6 clusters of the UNESCO Network represented. Featured at the event was a draft of the “Breads of the Creative Cities” book, with a finalized version to be showcased at the UCCN XIII Annual Meeting 2019 in Fabriano, Italy

This project continues as the “Breads of the Creative Cities” project, an ongoing effort to engage even more Creative Cities and their unique bread traditions. If you are a Creative City representative, we encourage and invite you to find more information here.