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Why food? And why now?

We set up Make/Change Collective as our way of bringing creativity and imagination to the wicked issues involved in making the world a better place.

It would be hard not to, to be honest. It feels impossible and unethical to lock ourselves away and pretend this world isn’t happening. But it also feels exhausting to be stuck in the treadmill of activism without having access to the hope and optimism that creativity brings when we’re ready to throw in the towel. Which we are – sometimes. I mean, aren’t you?

More than that, the social, economic and structural problems we have so determinedly ‘locked in’ to our society are not going to be dismantled by the same world views that created them.

So we reckon it’s about time to leverage in the power of creativity to imagine different ways of doing things!

Photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash
Photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash

But why food? And why now?

In today’s world, the way we produce, consume, and think about food is more urgent and critical than ever. From climate change and food security to sustainability and cultural heritage, the complexities of our food system demand greater attention and understanding.

For creative organizations like ours, sustainable food offers a platform to use art and activism as tools to raise awareness about the issues. We want to get people thinking and asking questions about why things have to be the way they are.

We believe that art and creativity have the power to raise awareness and inspire action and it’s the combination of both that excites us. Who was it that said, ‘action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world’?

That’s why we’re delighted to be running a programme of films and workshops focused on our food system in collaboration with Propagate.

Through the films we have chosen, we want to help you explore the global journey of food—its origins, its environmental impact, and its social implications. By showcasing diverse perspectives, we hope to give a wide-ranging picture of the food system – one which challenges assumptions and opens new conversations.

Knowledge is powerful, but it’s when we act on that knowledge in community with others that real transformation happens. So our workshops are designed to help you get hands-on with the issues, providing practical tools for personal and collective change. 

Should you come along?

Yes! (Though we would say that, wouldn’t we?)

Partly because food – the quality and cost and surplus or lack of it –affects each one of us, every day of our lives.

But also, by inviting you to the screenings at the Food and Farming Film Festival, it’s not just about the films (though we hope you’ll like them). It’s also, probably more importantly, about the connections you’ll make there – the discussions you have, and ideas that are sparked, and cunning plans you come up with.

So even if you’ve seen a film before, you won’t have seen it with the same people and you won’t have had this opportunity to connect around what it means to you.

Because at its core, our Food and Farming Film Festival is about connection. Food connects us to the earth, to each other, and to the stories that shape our lives.

Through the arts, we hope to strengthen those connections, spark conversations, and ultimately inspire change—one film, one workshop, and one creative idea at a time.

Will you join us?

Information about the Food and Farming Film Festival

The Food and Farming Film Festival runs from the 15th to 28th February. It’s a two-week celebration of films that explore the future of food and farming, brought to you by Propagate and Make/Change Collective.
 
Our festival begins with a Good Food Conversation for Moffat on 15th February from 2.30pm to 5pm.
 
Our film screenings are:
All the films are followed by activities, and chances to network and plan for a good food future.
 
The Food and Farming Film Festival is run by our What If? Film Club in partnership with Propagate. It is sponsored by Dumfries and Galloway Climate Hub through the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere Seed Fund and by Moffat Co-op Foodstore.