Last 2sday Supper Club
How did you meet Sofia?
We actually met while I was taking out the trash—we were neighbors, and knew that we had some mutuals, so it was inevitable that we were going to be friends. From then, she would come over, and we would go up on my roof, draw, and sketch. It was her who mentioned that we should start hosting dinners for all of our girlfriends in East London. That was the start of it all.
Tell me about the first dinners.
We started by gathering friends at my flat, and eventually saw the success of bringing so many people together, and how all of these girls were meeting new people. There's something so special about getting together around food; it creates a communal family, which is what we missed after moving away from home a few years ago. From the start we had so much fun with it, and I was making so many new, close friends. That was the moment where we were like, okay, we should turn this into something bigger. And then it was, how? How do we do that?
Why do you think food works so well to bring people together?
In the beginning, we were doing a lot of potluck style dinners. Everyone would come with their own dish, and it became a sort of collaboration. For each dinner, there would be a theme, already placing an intention behind the food. It was also a good segue for people to meet, like, oh, what did you bring? Last Earth Day you threw a dinner with Trash Club.
How did that partnership form, and how was it different from previous events?
That event was our first time working alongside another community. I reached out to Matthew, the founder of Trash Club, because I wanted to put on a sustainable Earth Day dinner, but I didn't have the knowledge to do it on my own. We would hop on calls, and he would speak with the chef on how to create the zero waste menu. The day of ending up being really nice because members of the Trash Club community came to help set up and support the entire evening.
As the community grows, how do you continue to find venues that fit into your narrative?
In the beginning we didn't know what making 2sday Supper Club “more official” would look like. For our first formal event, which was last May, we contacted Sofia's boyfriend's friend, who had a cafe that she was running. It was attached to her dad's art studio, and she offered up the space, which allowed us to host outside of my flat. Since then, we've hosted at restaurants, galleries, bars, and more cafes. Each time it's a new process of outreach, and pitching. Or maybe it's just a friend of a friend and they're kindly offering their space.
Exhibiting art within these spaces seems to be a big part of 2sday Supper Club. How does it fit into the project?
When throwing the events, our overarching theme is platforming women. We are in constant search for any outlet through which we can do that. At the dinners, we usually spotlight female chefs, or DJs on open decks. Art exhibitions are something we randomly tapped into. In the past, one of our events was canceled, and in its place, we decided to showcase a few photographers. It was exciting, because we only had three weeks to put the exhibition on—it was our first time stepping into the roles of curator, artist, and manager. We didn't anticipate how big of an event it would turn into, but we had 240 guests, and 16 photographers, which meant that there was even more spotlight on all of the women we featured.
How do you curate the exhibitions?
In the past, we’ve done call outs. For the photography exhibition, it was all very rushed, so we did the call out and secured all of the artists within three weeks. We had about 70 submissions after getting all of our friends to repost, and I also did some outreach to photographers I wanted to feature.
What's the best meal you've ever had?
From the dinners or in general?
Both.
Oh my gosh. I've been going to one restaurant for the last 10 years with my dad. It's my favorite, and I get the same exact order every time. It’s called Serafina in New York, and I get ravioli alla salvia, branzino, and the soup of the day. We end with a tiramisu. And from the dinners, it’s so hard, but the last chef was really, really good. She made this rhubarb sorbet, and there was so much leftover. There's always leftovers at each dinner.
Do you guys get to take them home?
Not home, but between each course there's always extra, so the team and I get to snack in the back.
Is there a meal would you love to serve at the event?
I feel like we've already tapped into a lot of different genres, but the other day a friend mentioned steak night. In the past, we've only done vegetarian meals because we try to keep it easy for everyone, and it's a lot cheaper. But steak night needs to happen.
What do want people to take away from the dinners?
I hope they're inspired to work on something new, or make a new connection. That’s what it’s been about since the beginning, and I do see it happening, which is exciting. We recently did a women in print night spotlighting five or six different female-lead publications. Most of the girls who attended that event wanted to have their own publications. Following this structure, each event is focused on a different creative community. If you're interested in stepping into the field we’re featuring, then you might be inclined to go to that event, and then hopefully take something away from it.
Do you have a favorite 2sday Supper Club memory?
Yes, it was definitely at the photographer's exhibition we hosted in London. 10 minutes or 15 minutes into the event, my mom surprised me from New Jersey. I had absolutely no idea she was coming, and went into complete shock. The day was already so overwhelming because we were working from 10:00 AM till 6:00 PM setting everything up, and then my mom was there. That was really insane.
I know your anniversary is approaching. How are you planning to celebrate?
We're doing our anniversary party at Mother London, which is a big advertising agency. They have a beautiful lobby space, and it’s going to be converted into a proper party with DJs, drinks, and maybe some food. There's also a big screen in the space, so we want to montage photos and videos from the past year. It would also be nice to print out all of the posters we have ever done. It's a party vibe. We've never really done anything like it.
Where do you see things going next for 2sday Supper Club?
We definitely want to host more events. I would also love to curate another exhibition, and hopefully secure financial support from companies. The goal is to continue producing the events, and spotlight more women.
