Our goal with The Important Things to Know About Eating and Drinking (in Lethbridge) was to provoke critical and thoughtful reflection on food as a key component of community identity and social interaction. On our initial research visit to Lethbridge, we were inspired by the collections of cookbooks, menus from restaurants and social and civic club events, as well as almanacs with recipes and advice that were in the holdings of the Galt Museum & Archives. We also looked at documentation of packaging, uniforms and promotional materials from a number of now defunct local firms such as Sicks Brewery and Crystal Dairy, and also spent time becoming familiar with the history of agriculture, food production and processing in the region. Out of this research developed the idea of engaging the campus community in the collective design of a unique UofL foodstuff and the production of our own cookbook/almanac to share with the student body.

Our program was designed to evolve over the course of a week of surveying and public engagement, culminating with a large staged lunch event in the main hub of the campus. People on campus chose from a selection of items/icons and collectively defined an ideally representative pizza for Lethbridge. The publication for the project (distributed free to students) combined cooking advice, recipes and a mix of contemporary and vintage anecdotes and information. A commission from the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, the project was designed to be embedded in existing campus activities, we worked with the contracted commercial food service on campus (Sodexho) and staged our interactions and events in common areas where informal gathering and events were regular occurrences. Typical of DodoLab's work, the project employs a focussed exploration (in this case campus food) in order to engage with and address broader issues of community, identity and adaptation to a changing environment.