2024 shortlist announced for £5000 OCC Trust scholarships

 

The Oxford Cultural Collective Trust has announced the shortlist for its 2024 scholarships for young change-makers in hospitality and gastronomy.

Each scholarship comes with a grant of £5000 and mentoring support for one year, to help the winning candidates complete a self-designed project that will benefit them personally, and have a positive impact on others.

The winners will be announced at the annual OCC Trust awards reception, to be held at Quo Vadis restaurant in central London on 19^th November 2024.

 

The winning candidates will become part of an ever-growing community of OCC Trust scholars, who receive ongoing support and encouragement and who work collectively to effect positive change in industry and society.

A unifying theme in the proposals from this year’s shortlisted candidates is the use of hospitality and culinary heritage as tools for achieving inclusivity and empowerment of those from a diverse range of backgrounds.

 

THE SHORTLIST

 

For the Lou Willcock Scholarship, which embodies the creativity and diversity of contemporary hospitality, the shortlist is:

Keshia Sakarah, whose project, From the Calabash: Eating the (Hi)Stories of the Caribbean, will provide a detailed audio and visual record, compiled through an extensive range of interviews, designed to preserve and communicate Caribbean culinary and cultural traditions, particularly those that are at risk of being lost.

Camila Marcias, who is planning The Sweet Latin American initiative, focused on one of the fastest growing yet most invisible migrant communities in the UK. Her aim is to create the first comprehensive digital platform that uses food to represent the UK’s diverse Latin American Diaspora.

Hugh Glasspool, whose project is focused on achieving greater inclusivity in British hospitality for those who are partially sighted; both employees and customers.  His work, which will support a marginalised group in society, aims to overcome deep-rooted prejudices and barriers to professional progression.

 

For the Golden Chopsticks Scholarship, which captures the entrepreneurial spirit of the east and southeast Asian hospitality community in the UK, the shortlist is:

Noby Leong, whose project, Satay? Okay!, will be an ongoing podcast that takes a deep dive into Malaysian cuisine and culture, introducing it to new audiences and serving as a point of connection for those in the global Malaysian Diaspora.

Nandal Seo, who is planning an ambitious art and education initiative, featuring food-focused workshops and associated online communication, which will explore and celebrate the contribution of food professionals of east and southeast Asian origin, to UK society.

 

From Ben McEwen, Chair of the OCC Trust: “We are hugely impressed by the determination of our shortlisted candidates to complete projects that have a positive and lasting impact on others. We hope that being awarded OCC Trust scholarships, which include considerable financial and professional support, will help our talented winners realise their full potential.”

 

JUDGING PANEL FOR LOU WILLCOCK SCHOLARSHIP

 

JUDGING PANEL FOR GOLDEN CHOPSTICKS SCHOLARSHIP