Studio CoPain, bread making for community building

Less than a century ago, people in France baked bread collectively in communal ovens. While that practice slowly disappeared, bread remains an everyday companion. Studio CoPain, the collective made up of Léa Bardin, Lucile Barbier and Sidonie Lepetit, revives the art of bread-making for community building. Their workshops amount to experimental playgrounds where participants are invited to discover their artistic expression with the help of low-tech tools for decorating and shaping. The activity of making food together can generate a sense of belonging and shared purpose and foster greater understanding of and respect for local territory and culture. A series of decorative trophies created during their collective events demonstrates the power of co-creation and the value of rediscovering this lost art.