africa's living Food creatives programme

We’re building a campus where food is alive and where creativity is part of the ecology

Short-term, place-based residencies for creatives who want to explore food, culture and community through their medium - while living inside a working ecosystem of farmers, fermenters, bakers, makers and soil

At the Living Food Campus, we believe food is alive and that when people feel that aliveness again, something shifts...attention softens, curiosity returns and vitality follows. We treat nourishment as something you can feel, in the scent of ferment, the hush of a garden, the hands of someone making something slowly and well. You don’t just visit a place like this, you enter a rhythm...seasons, microbes, grains, animals, people, stories.

We believe that beauty and craftsmanship can change behaviours without force. When something is made with attention - grown with diversity, milled with intention, fermented with patience, filmed with tenderness - it invites people back into relationship with their bodies, with land and with each other.

That’s what our residencies are for. We bring in emerging creatives to live inside the real processes (cheesemaking, fermentation, sourdough, seed work, soil, community life) and translate the campus back to the world through their medium.

Our residencies are designed as in-situ placements where creatives work inside the living rhythms of the campus, contributing tangible outputs while growing skill, confidence and craft. We hope that each placement allows the creative to leave having been moved and with that, evolved - just a little - in which ever way nature intended.

Current opportunities:

Visual Residency (Kenyan photographer-videographer) | full time, April - September 2026
Sourdough Baker’s Residency (international) | full time, April - July 2026

Both residencies will coincide with and enable participation in our third Food Beyond the Plate gathering! Discover more.

Creatives are generously rewarded for their time at the Campus (see the residency flyer for further information)

“Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.”

― Robin Wall Kimmerer

EXPRESS INTEREST IN OUR 2026 OPEN RESIDENCIES
(APPLICATIONS FOR BOTH CLOSE ON 20TH MARCH)

Express Interest

SOURDOUGH BAKER

A 3-month residency for an international sourdough baker to create new recipes, run workshops and upskill our team - using stone-milled flours and diverse grains rooted in East African landscapes.

mid-April to mid-July 2026

DISCOVER MORE

Express Interest

VISUAL ARTIST

A 6-month paid residency for an aspiring Kenyan photographer–videographer to document the craft, people and ecology of a living food system - through bold, soulful storytelling.

April to Sept 2026

DISCOVER MORE

faqs

What qualities are you looking for? If you are someone who is enthusiastic and curious our residencies are for you! We work a bit like nature, constantly evolving, growing and sensemaking to our environment. We love people who are self-starters and not afraid to make bold creative decisions, bringing people with them along the way in inspiring ways. This is for you if you have a reverence for craft, are interested in soil–food–health relationships and hold a willingness to work in a living ecosystem of people, animals, nature and processes.

How do I apply? Applications open in February and close on the 20th March 2026. Send your CV and a note on why we should pick you (+ all info that proves you are a good fit + info outlined in the what should i include FAQ boxes) to tashstraker@gmail.com

What should I include in my application? A short note on why you - make us excited to have you part of our community! Tell us a little about you and your passions at the same time A paragraph on why this place-based residency matters to your practice Your CV and at least 2 references for your work and character 3-5 examples of your past work (recipes, photos, documentaries, videos) by link or google-drive share

“Isn't this the purpose of education, to learn the nature of your own gifts and how to use them for good in the world?”

- Robin Wall Kimmerer

Baker residency - what is the eligibility criteria? - We're looking for a baker based in the UK - Qualified baker in one of the top bread schools e.g. School of Artisan Foods - Eligible for. a Kenyan visa - Able to fund their additional living expenses beyond accomodation, weekly lunch, flights and visa - 21+ years old - Availability for the full residency period - Valid passport for 6+ months from residency end date - Ability to work in an active food campus environment - Comfort with early starts / standing for long periods - Comfort moving around a farm/campus terrain and occasional off-site trips - Willingness to disclose access needs so support can be planned - Experience teaching, mentoring, or training others - Understanding of allergen awareness and cross-contamination basics - Willingness to learn from local ingredients, methods, and team knowledge (not “import expertise only”) - Interest in exchange, not extraction

Visual residency - what is the eligibility criteria? - Kenyan national - Committed and passionate creative with a portfolio of work to demonstrate style - Can shoot and edit independantly - Basic audio capture competency (interviews + ambient sound) - 21+ years old - Availability for the full residency period - Ability to work in an active food campus environment - Comfort moving around a farm/campus terrain and occasional off-site trips - Willingness to disclose access needs so support can be planned - Based in Nairobi/Tigoni commute range or able to commute reliably - Ability to work respectfully around artisans, farmers, visitors, and staff - Commitment to consent-based storytelling (especially if filming visitors/children)

Who owns the work I create, and how will I be credited? We’ll confirm this in the residency agreement. In general: You’ll be credited wherever your work is used. We’ll ask for your permission to share process and final outputs for programme publicity.

“The closer we are to nature, the better we will eat".

- Alice Waters

What does a typical week look like? These are in-situ placements: you’ll be embedded in campus production rhythm. Videographer - days will vary, some might typically look like 630-330pm or 12-7pm and others 9-5pm depending what you are working on and whether you are off site. This capturing of campus early hour/dusk activity and lighting. We are open to discussion and flexibility here. Days are Tuesday-Saturday. Baker - likely hours will be 330am-3pm on bake days or hours as you feel comfortable for non major bake/training days. Days are Tues-Sat with the occassional Saturday spent running a workshop (8-1pm). PLEASE note...We are pretty flexible so these are rough guidelines for now!

What about accessibility or specific support needs? We welcome applicants with access needs and are open to discussing reasonable adjustments. If you have access requirements, share them in your application (or email us seperately) so we can plan with care.