DROPOUT

Menu

Featuring: The ADHD Cooking School

Article
By Tom McGrath
15/02/19

Subtitle

How can we shift perceptions on mental disorders?

Contents

1. Loyle

2. The Cooking School

3. Future Ambitions

4. More than just cooking

The ADHD Cooking School by GOMA and Loyle Carner

Growing up with ADHD, Loyle Carner always found that cooking helped him concentrate and channel his energy in a positive way. With the ADHD Cooking School, the South Londoner hopes to use his experiences to help future generations, and tackle perceptions about ADHD and other mental disorders.

Subtitle

How can we shift perceptions on mental disorders?

Contents

1. Loyle

2. The Cooking School

3. Future Ambitions

4. More than just cooking

Growing up with ADHD, Loyle Carner always found that cooking helped him concentrate and channel his energy in a positive way. With the ADHD Cooking School, the South Londoner hopes to use his experiences to help future generations, and tackle perceptions about ADHD and other mental disorders.
1. Loyle

Everyone has something to offer the world, you just need to find your groove. School isn’t the best outlet for everyone, and for that reason, it’s not fair to judge people purely on academic ability. As a young person, it can be difficult to find a place where you feel comfortable and motivated; especially when you suffer from any type of mental disorder.

Loyle Carner is a rapper from South London. His Mercury Prize nominated debut album, Yesterday’s Gone, which was released in 2017, has received high praise. However, what is probably less known about the 24 year old, is that he also has a passion for cooking. The rapper, whose real name is Ben, grew up with ADHD, a disorder that is associated with struggling to pay attention and controlling impulsive behaviour. Growing up, Ben found that cooking was something that helped him focus. It allowed him to channel his energy into something positive, and from a young age, Ben became comfortable cooking for himself and his family.

Loyle Carner by Amit Lennon

2. The Cooking School

Many years later, whilst pursuing a career as a musician, cooking remains a safe place for Loyle Carner. It allows him to find peace amongst all of the busyness, and this was exactly what he felt others with ADHD could benefit from. In the summer of 2016, Loyle Carner came together with GOMA, a collective that focuses on creative projects with a social and environment conscience. Together, they founded The ADHD Cooking School; an initiative that would invite children with ADHD to learn to cook, with the end goal of hosting a dining experience for the public.

Following the success of the ADHD Cooking Schools inaugural class, GOMA and Loyle Carner have since produced a limited range of tees, a mini cookbook and held an event. It’s great to see a collaboration that creates new opportunities for young individuals, who otherwise may feel neglected in traditional educational systems. We hope that The ADHD Cooking School can continue to grow, and offer a space for more young people to learn about both cookery and themselves.

3. Future Ambitions

Loyle Carner hopes that the ADHD Cooking School can become a place that doesn’t have to turn anyone away. The project has already proved a huge success, and has inspired both the students of the school and onlookers, like us. We would love to see the school run all year around, or perhaps even undertake visiting classes within actual schools, who knows? What we do know, is that it certainly has huge potential.

It is very easy to underestimate the impact that projects like The ADHD Cooking School have on young people. However, I believe that it provides the very first step in understanding the needs of kids who work a little differently from 'the norm'. In fact I would go as far to say that the term 'mental disorder' isn't fair at all. We are all wired a little differently, so why should we judge one person as 'ordered' and another 'disordered'. Perhaps instead of blaming the individual, we should look at how we can adapt our educational systems to support people in different ways. It goes without saying, that the solution isn't as simple as it sounds. However, The ADHD Cooking School is the perfect example of how one part of the solution may look.

Salmon En Croute by Amit Lennon

Loyle Carner by Amit Lennon

4. More than just cooking

The aim of the project, put simply, is to bring the best out of people. It's about building a space where anyone can feel comfortable and express themselves through the art of cooking. For example, one girl who attended the first cooking school didn’t suffer from ADHD, however she did suffer from anxiety. It goes to show that there is no limit as to how and where a project like this can be applied to help people. It isn't a one size fits all solution. Instead, it allows every individual to approach it in their own way. Whether that be through the dish they choose to make, or the spices they choose to add, freedom of expression is key in understanding what makes you happy.

This leaves us asking, how can we create more initiatives that support mental disorders? And can we make them more readily available? Whether through cooking, art or sport, the most important fact remains identifying a way in which people can be happy and achieve success. The ADHD Cooking School is more than just learning how to cook. It is understanding that we all have unique attributes and ways of thinking, that should be nurtured and celebrated. And that it's this uniqueness, that makes us who we are.

  • 15th February 2019
  • Featuring: The ADHD Cooking School
  • By Tom McGrath

Bibliography

ADHD Cooking School, Loyle Carner x GOMA
‘Rapper’s delight: how musician Loyle Carner is teaching kids to cook’, Ed Cummings (The Guardian)
Loyle Carner (https://loylecarner.com/)
GOMA (https://gomacollective.com/)
Amit Lennon (http://www.amitlennon.com/)

Social

The ADHD Cooking School (@chilliconcarner)
GOMA (@gomacollective)
Loyal Carner (@loylecarner)

Share Post

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on google
Share on email

Related Posts

The Triumphant Return

Article
By Ollie Nicholas
11/01/21
This is a pretty self-indulgent article, but I didn't know what else to write about. I wanted to get back into posting on Dropout as it's been a while, so here's some ramblings of what I've been doing over the...

New Minds 2020: Marine Renaudineau & Abdul Mohamud

Article
By Ollie Nicholas
24/08/20
In this New Minds episode, Ollie is joined by Marine Renaudineau who studied Material Futures at Central Saint Martins, and Abdul Mohamud who studied Product Design at Middlesex University. This episode covers topics surrounding community engagement, mental health and the...

New Minds 2020: Flavia Daniele & Daniel Spivakov

Article
By Ollie Nicholas
10/08/20
In this New Minds episode, Ollie is joined by Flavia Daniele who studied Photography at Rome University of Fine Art, and Daniel Spivakov who studied Fine Art at Central Saint Martins. This episode includes discussion about the problems with showing...

New Minds 2020: Nadine McLaughlin & Vasco Alexandre

Article
By Ollie Nicholas
09/08/20
In this New Minds episode, Ollie is joined by Nadine McLaughlin who studied Animation MA at Ulster University, and Vasco Alexandre who studied film at Middlesex University. This episode includes discussion about forms of story telling, creative influences and working...

New Minds 2020: Valentina Auer & Sofia Hallström

Article
By Ollie Nicholas
05/08/20
In this New Minds 2020 episode, Ollie is joined by Valentina Auer who studied Sustainable Design MA at University of Brighton, and Sofia Hallstrom who studied Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art. This episode cover topics surrounding personal development,...

New Minds 2020: Anthea Spivey and Jai Toor (New Minds 2019 Winners)

Article
By Ollie Nicholas
14/07/20
Ollie is joined by New Minds 2019 Winners, Anthea Spivey and Jai Toor to discuss how New Minds 2020 could still help students in-spite of the restrictions presented by coronavirus. Anthea and Jai are both photographers, and like many others,...

The Triumphant Return

Article
11/01/21
This is a pretty self-indulgent article, but I didn't know what else to write about. I wanted to get back into posting on Dropout as it's been a while, so here's some ramblings of what I've been doing over the...

New Minds 2020: Marine Renaudineau & Abdul Mohamud

Article
24/08/20
In this New Minds episode, Ollie is joined by Marine Renaudineau who studied Material Futures at Central Saint Martins, and Abdul Mohamud who studied Product Design at Middlesex University. This episode covers topics surrounding community engagement, mental health and the...

New Minds 2020: Flavia Daniele & Daniel Spivakov

Article
10/08/20
In this New Minds episode, Ollie is joined by Flavia Daniele who studied Photography at Rome University of Fine Art, and Daniel Spivakov who studied Fine Art at Central Saint Martins. This episode includes discussion about the problems with showing...

New Minds 2020: Nadine McLaughlin & Vasco Alexandre

Article
09/08/20
In this New Minds episode, Ollie is joined by Nadine McLaughlin who studied Animation MA at Ulster University, and Vasco Alexandre who studied film at Middlesex University. This episode includes discussion about forms of story telling, creative influences and working...

New Minds 2020: Valentina Auer & Sofia Hallström

Article
05/08/20
In this New Minds 2020 episode, Ollie is joined by Valentina Auer who studied Sustainable Design MA at University of Brighton, and Sofia Hallstrom who studied Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art. This episode cover topics surrounding personal development,...

New Minds 2020: Anthea Spivey and Jai Toor (New Minds 2019 Winners)

Article
14/07/20
Ollie is joined by New Minds 2019 Winners, Anthea Spivey and Jai Toor to discuss how New Minds 2020 could still help students in-spite of the restrictions presented by coronavirus. Anthea and Jai are both photographers, and like many others,...

Create the future

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Spotify
Mixcloud
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms Of Use

DROPOUT

© 2019. All rights reserved.

Create the future
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Spotify
Mixcloud
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms Of Use
DROPOUT © 2019. All rights reserved.

DROPOUT

Close

Journal

Home →

Featuring: →

Future Forms: →

The Big Show: →

Trailblazers: →

Selects: →

Studio

Home →

Explore

Articles →

Radio Shows →

About

About Us →

Our Ethos →

Support Us →

Contact

Contact Us →

What's New

The Triumphant Return

Article
By Ollie Nicholas
11/01/21

The Big Show: Life On Our Planet

Radio
By Ollie Nicholas
06/10/20

The Big Show: A quick update

Radio
By Ollie Nicholas
03/10/20

The Triumphant Return

Article
11/01/21

The Big Show: Life On Our Planet

Radio
06/10/20

The Big Show: A quick update

Radio
03/10/20
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Spotify
Mixcloud
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms Of Use
DROPOUT
© 2019. All rights reserved.

DROPOUT

Close

Journal

Home →

Featuring: →

Future Forms: →

The Big Show: →

Trailblazers: →

Selects: →

Studio

Home →

Explore

Articles →

Radio Shows →

About

About Us →

Our Ethos →

Support Us →

Contact

Contact Us →

The Triumphant Return

Article
11/01/21

The Big Show: Life On Our Planet

Radio
06/10/20

The Big Show: A quick update

Radio
03/10/20

New Minds 2020: Marine Renaudineau & Abdul Mohamud

Article
24/08/20

New Minds 2020: Flavia Daniele & Daniel Spivakov

Article
10/08/20
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Spotify
Mixcloud
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms Of Use
DROPOUT © 2019. All rights reserved.

Featuring: The ADHD Cooking School

↘

Cookies Policy

We use cookies on this website to analyse your use of our products and services, provide content from third parties and assist with our marketing efforts. Learn more about our use of cookies and at our cookie policy. By closing this window you agree to the use of cookies on this website.