Saturday March 25th, 2023

Image Description: A brightly lit group photograph of Scarborough Arts staff and board member, Cooking Up Feminism participants and facilitator Mariam Magis, and family and friends who attended the cooking up feminism cookbook launch on Saturday, March 25th, at Cedar Ridge Creative Centre. In the background of the photograph are brightly lit lights illuminating colorful paintings by artist Che Ree Kwon.

First Row (Left to Right): Emily Peltier (Program Manager at Scarborough Arts, Mariam Magsi (Program Facilitator), Faith Rajasingham (Program Coordinator at Scarborough Arts).

Second Row (Left to Right): Suman Roy (Board Chair at Scarborough Arts), event guest, Ann Marie Leon (Program Participant), event guest, Lady Pearline Morris “Lady P” (Program Participant), Ebru Winegard (Program Participant), Zeni Shariff (Program Participant), event guest.

Third Row (Left to Right): Event guest, event guest, event guest, event guest, event guest, event guest, event guest, Derek Spooner (Scarborough Arts Executive Director).

About the event and Cooking Up Feminism (Health Arts for Seniors)

This weekend, Scarborough Arts staff had the distinct pleasure of celebrating the launch of the brand new "Cooking Up Feminism" book developed as a part of the most recent "Healthy Arts for Seniors" program led by the incomparable Mariam Magsi. As a part of this program, program participants had the chance to meet each week for 12 weeks to discuss and share topics related to intergenerational wisdom, cooking, personal lived experiences, health, and wellness. As a part of this cookbook development, participants in the programming submitted photographs taken during cooking prompts in the workshops while also providing written reflections on food and family in relation to the meals they were making and sharing together.

We are grateful to the participants and Mariam, who came together to create this beautiful reflection on family, food, and community building. We are also grateful to the funders of this programming New Horizons for Seniors, for the opportunity to bring this needed social environment for seniors and community members following a time of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This in-person launch was filled with love, emotion, and food!

For those who missed the launch, fear not! A digital copy of the cookbook is available on our Issuu account! Hard copies of the book will be available for sale soon via the Scarborough Arts website and Marketplace. Stay tuned in to our website for updates on publication access.

Join us in virtually congratulating all the wonderful folks who made this program and cookbook possible. We can only do this work with you and your support. Thank you!

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This book and program was made possible by the generous support of the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, The Ontario Arts Council and The City of Toronto.

All photographs from the event courtesy of Cooking Up Feminism Program Facilitator: Mariam Magsi.

Cooking Up Feminism Book Cover by: Sarah Alinia Ziazi

Interior Book Design and Layout by: Fallon Simard

Scarborough Arts Issuu Account for publications: https://issuu.com/scarborougharts