Chef Sofia De Matteis

Sofia De Matteis - Current student on MA Creative Practice

What is your current endeavour, and can you tell us a bit about it?

My endeavour is to run vegan cookery classes. I would like to have weekly cookery classes for the general public covering different themes. I want them to be experimental and playful. For people to experience the tactile joy of cooking.

What impact do you want to have by bringing your endeavour alive and into the world?

I want my classes to encourage and inspire people to cook more. I believe that by having more practical engagement in what we eat, leads us to making healthier choices for ourselves and the planet. If making plant based food becomes more accessible, familiar and fun - there is a positive impact in reducing animal agriculture which has such huge carbon output and animal suffering. I also want to show that food can be a point of connection. Eating is something that we do every day, so if we cook the food ourselves we are much more inclined to create new habits of coming together in a circle and sharing. Similarly, it can be a powerful "unwinding" tool. At the end of a day, slowing down to make food, rather than rushing.

Which Make_Happen distinction do you use the most or has impacted you the most?

I have been most impacted by the distinction of "the gap". By understanding how my moments of overwhelm come from viewing this huge gap between where I am and what I am trying to do and create. Now I remember to bring my attention to the simplicity of the next "one bite into the elephant", and I more easily move out of my freeze and into action.

How has being a part of Make_Happen influenced your creative process?

So far it has been immensely empowering my freedom of choice. Before doing the course, I would often avoid any bigger projects that inspired me. Because it triggered my fear of commitment. The Make_Happen Course has shown me that by setting an intention rather than a very limited idea, I stay committed and daring. Allowing it to shape and change in whatever way that I want. I am the driver of the project and I choose how it takes form. And I have learnt to allow the "bad days" so they truly don't stop me anymore.

Are there specific artists or creators who inspire your work, and if so, how do they influence you?

Vegan Cookery School in Bath called MORSO. They have so many exciting classes going on with all sorts of themes. I find it inspiring that they have established such an elaborate network of guest teachers and take time to travel and learn cuisines from different cultures. I love how they are fully vegan and they've got so much going on.

Where do you envision yourself in 5 years in relation to your endeavour?

I envisage myself running fully booked cooking and playful classes in person every week, and having a big apartment with a nice kitchen where I can also run online classes and longer programmes for people seeking more depth of knowledge. I also want to have established a huge online audience so I have the potential to expand into other food related projects and encourage more people to get "stuck in" with cooking. With this vision I will have a couple of days a week dedicated to exploring new projects with experimental food projects and tapping back into my "artistic" side.