“Schnapsideen & Brototypen”: Playful, Co-Creative Baking

At the end of 2022, Chris Cuhls invited twelve event experts to the former Lüchtenhof monastery in Hildesheim for three days. The common goals were inspiration, discussion and co-creation. The two concept designers Kai Janssen and Jörg Sellerbeck came up with an unconventional programme item as part of this – a workshop that combined cuisine and co-creation (“Spirited ideas & Prodoughtypes”).

They sought to find individual recipes for success to answer the question: “What will make events appealing in 2023?”, which were to be developed enjoyably. The basis for this were the oldest indulgences in event history: bread and alcohol. In several steps that involved the guests, “bread prototypes” were made of dough workpieces and “tasty solutions” were presented.

In the preliminary communication, the guests were asked to bring culinary ingredients. Two questions provided guidance in this: 1. What ingredients do events need in the year 2023? Suitable condiments or ingredients were to be brought for this purpose that provided a metaphorical answer. 2. What would be most enjoyable for you at an event in 2023? Now the task was to choose a drink that represented one’s personal enjoyment of an event.

During the process, all the guests sat at a table. A place mat was laid out at each seat that communicated the procedure and questions. Divided into courses, the condiments, drinks and associated thoughts were presented, worked into different types of bread and sampled. The individual recipes for success were then recorded in writing on the place mats.

As the “5th course”, there was a discussion about what could be swept under the table in 2023. Anything unnecessary found its way directly onto the kitchen floor. The dessert reached the guests as an aftertaste by email: the photographed place mats and recipes from all the participants.

It was a playful, co-creative baking of new ideas that turned those present into co-creators, was made more memorable through the association with objects and sensory experiences and not least was actually tasty!