Banquet for Soul and Strangers
Fruit tarts made for a Banquet for Soul in Strangers in honor of a participant story
Banquet for Soul and Strangers is a gathering for a small group of honored guests, co-created by Lauren Coons and Patricia Ann Repar, composer and founding director of the University of New Mexico's Arts-in-Medicine and Healing Arts programs. Each Banquet brings together an intentionally chosen menu with an arts-based itinerary centered on storytelling, connection, and the shared act of eating together, all in honor of the guests invited to the table.
During the pandemic, Coons and Repar offered the Banquet to healthcare workers from UNM Hospital as a way of caring for those who were giving so much to care for the community, and of honoring their personal stories. At these gatherings, participants' stories became the material for new performance pieces created in the moment, and a special menu was composed in response to what was shared. The result is an experience of community and connection built specifically for a time of social distancing and isolation.