"Designers and Farmers" - A creative approach to new Nordic food experiences

New Nordic Food is constantly entering into new collaborative forms and new platforms to bring culinary experiences and the creative industries together. Next time, 4 – 6 November, the stage is set in Iceland's capital Reykjavik, where the international conference You Are In Control (YAIC) will also launch the Designers & Farmers project amongst the many creative elements which include food and creative culinary experiences in the actual conference programme.

You Are In Control is an annual conference, which explores digital development for the creative industries in music, art, design, media, games, literature, preforming arts and film. This is the first time that culinary experiences are involved in this conference form. The Designers & Farmers pilot project will culminate with a different conference lunch on Monday 5 November at 12.00, and before that New Nordic Food and Designers & Farmers will present their work. The Icelandic Minister of Culture Katrin Jakobsdóttir will attend with other official guests.

Designers & Farmers is made up of the Iceland Academy of the Arts' product designers and farmers, who have been brought together to develop unique high quality foods based on traditional Icelandic products. During the first three years working together the group has developed four completely new foods. These are products from four farms located in different regions of Iceland that have been developed and composed by designers and assembled in a buffet. Here You Are In Control and Designers & Farmers are complemented with creative input from chefs at Harpa Concert Hall and the conference centre so the participants can enjoy a unique culinary experience.

At the buffet the delegates can taste, amongst other things, filled rye bread rolls, a new interpretation of black pudding cake, rhubarb caramels and skyr confectionery. Everything is served with local berries and fruit drinks as well as in-house salad from Harpa's own garden. Bjarni Gunnar Kristinsson, head chef at Harpa, Reykjavik explains: The idea came from my own garden where I have grown my own herbs and lettuces over the summer. We wanted to experiment with the guests so we gave them the chance to pick their own herbs and then make their own individual salad with salad dressing.

"This was definitely the first step towards a future partnership with a new international and creative audience. I think we have achieved a fantastic result, a unique Icelandic bid for creative new Nordic culinary experiences", says Food and Creative Industries' project manager, Elisabet Skylare, New Nordic Food.

"It is exciting and new to see food as an asset along with a whole lot of other creative subjects like music, media, art, literature, film, performing arts, design and games. We think this initiative has shown new ways of collaboration. The culinary experience adds an extra value for the guests and also involves stakeholders from different parts of the creative industry", says Anna Hildur, Nomex, Nordic Music Export and Chairman for the YAIC Conference.

"As a new partner there will be the opportunity for New Nordic Food to test new tools, working models and create different frameworks for the guests with food as a reinforcing element", says Elisabet Skylare.

Read about the conference You Are In Control: www.youareincontrol.is 
Read about the innovative project from the Iceland Academy of the Arts, Designers & Farmers http://www.designersandfarmers.com/en/ 
The initiative was made possible by collaboration with You Are In Control, Designers & Farmers, Harpa, the Association of Creative Industries in Iceland, Promote Iceland and New Nordic Food.

Contact
New Nordic Food, Elisabet Skylare: tel +4526207579
Contact You Are In Control, Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdóttir, tlf +44 780 1161718

The initiative is made possible by collaboration and dialogue between You Are In Control, Designers & Farmers, Harpa, the Association of Creative Industries in Iceland, Promote Iceland and New Nordic Food. www.nynordiskmad.org