Lacuna Kitchen highlights the untold stories of kitchen workers while challenging conventional roles within the gastronomy sector. The project acts as a stepping-stone toward a more inclusive culinary world and arts sector.

We recognize that the world is unequal. Many are involuntarily—and sometimes forcibly—pushed into certain jobs, such as kitchen work, for the benefit of the majority who profit from it. We form a community of kitchen workers, including labor migrants, refugees, and people with diverse abilities, shedding light on the darker sides of "Dutch gezelligheid," privileges of "just going out to eat every weekend," and hospitality in restaurants.

Lacuna Kitchen transforms the kitchen into a space for community-building and critical reflection, inviting participants and audiences to consider their own roles within societal and economic systems.

This is realized in three ways: we provide a platform for the stories of kitchen workers, we offer deeper insight into the impact of colonialism and migration on contemporary society through food, and we encourage dialogue on these themes during meals. The project combines theatre, gastronomy, and social activism to challenge and reconsider societal structures and hierarchies.

As an ongoing research project, Lacuna Kitchen delves into the complex layers of our shared colonial history, with special attention to its lasting effects on contemporary society. By connecting past and present and bridging diverse communities, Lacuna Kitchen aims to illuminate the rich and painful mosaic of shared heritage.