If we move together, we become more. That’s why, earlier in February, the Food Ethics Council, supported by Farming the Future, hosted Moving Together, an afternoon and evening of creativity, connection and collective movement at St Luke’s Community Centre in Islington. Through the afternoon and into the evening, UK funders and organisations working across food and farming came together to share space, build trust and explore our work as human beings, not job titles.
The idea for this gathering came from the conclusion of the Food Issues Census 2024-25:
“The best time to start funding, collaborating and working differently was 20 or more years ago. The next best time is now.”
While reports and research on food and farming have continued to multiply, the work of transforming food systems has remained under-resourced. Over the past two years, we have felt a steady rise in the collective call for change: we cannot keep doing what we have always done. The circumstances of our lives and systems demand more of us – we need new forms of collaboration.
Moving Together was our attempt to respond to that call.
Rather than replicating transactional moments between funders and movement organisations, this gathering was intentionally relational. Inspired by adrienne maree brown’s emergent strategy, particularly her call to “move at the speed of trust”, we wanted to centre the relationships that underpin meaningful systems change. Before we can collaborate differently, we needed the chance to know each other differently.
“I loved the opening where it was said that this was a space where there didn’t have to be outcomes and actions, nevertheless I took some prominent thoughts away with me. One of these was how tough it is for people in the movement, keeping things going, making growing and farming pay, and keeping their jobs! I’m sure coming together like we did at least gives courage and validation.”
There were no slide decks, no keynote speeches, no panels. Instead, participants stepped into a space designed for presence, creativity and curiosity. Radhika Jani and Sumayyah Zannath from Platform’s food justice team in Tower Hamlets worked with us to design and deliver creative practices that encouraged reflection, expression and connection beyond organisational roles.
We shared good food in the warm, welcoming environment of St Luke’s and spent time together talking, listening, connecting, laughing, building trust and faith in our collective commitment to building a fairer food future.
And that was all before the ceili!
Yes, a ceili! Not your usual end to a work gathering, but this was not your usual work gathering. Brilliant ceili callers Tom Kelleher and Anne Drury led us with patience, energy and humour, bringing joy, movement and collective rhythm into the room. Dancing together offers more than celebration. It served as a metaphor for how complex things become possible when we listen to one another, follow guidance and allow ourselves to move in sync. It reminded us that transformation – in our relationships, our collaborations and our food systems – requires trust, patience and a willingness to learn as we go.
“Dancing together with everyone like that felt radical, it released so much laughter and joy in the room. In spite of all the collective challenges. Felt like we all needed that”
Moving Together invited us to step outside our reality into a different kind of future – one where the way we work reflects the world we hope to build. It was a small but significant shift toward doing things differently, together.
We will continue to explore ways to develop relationship and trust between funders & civil society organisations working across food and farming, in the spirit of wanting a more coherent, better resourced, vibrant sector. Anyone like to join us on that journey?
by Beth Bell, Deputy Director, Food Ethics Council
Photo credits: Alice Horsley