On 17 June, the HERS Storytelling Festival took place at the Odyssea Academy in Athens, bringing together a diverse group of participants, community members, artists, and professionals to celebrate the richness of intangible cultural heritage through the universal language of food.

The event explored food as one of the most meaningful forms of cultural heritage carried and transmitted by women, highlighting how recipes, cooking traditions, and shared meals preserve memories, identities, and family histories while creating new connections in host communities. Through presentations and open discussions, participants reflected on the unique ability of food to bring people together in a natural, equal, and deeply human way, transcending cultural and linguistic differences.

One of the highlights of the festival was the participation of Odyssea beneficiaries and women involved in the HERS project, who shared personal reflections on what food means to them and how it has become a bridge between their countries of origin and their new lives in Greece. Their stories illustrated how everyday culinary traditions continue to nurture a sense of belonging while enriching the cultural fabric of their local communities.

The celebration concluded around a multicultural buffet prepared by beneficiaries of Odyssea's Kitchen Assistant training programme, who offered a selection of traditional dishes from different cultures for participants to enjoy. Conversations naturally continued around the shared table, demonstrating how food can create spaces for dialogue, exchange, and mutual understanding.

The festival celebrated not only the diversity of culinary traditions but also the essential role of women as custodians of intangible cultural heritage, reinforcing the HERS project's commitment to inclusion, storytelling, and intercultural dialogue.

HERS

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