Sweet & Sour – The Journey of Sugar
0 - 99 years MS Stubnitz – Kultur, Raumschiff Kirchenpauerkai 29, 20457 Hamburg Platz BuchenWhat does sugar taste like—beyond just sweetness? Where does it actually come from? And what stories lie behind the sugar cubes on our table?
Twenty children and young people embarked on an artistic journey of discovery through the Speicherstadt and HafenCity—engaging their senses, photography, and documentary approaches, and throwing themselves fully into the experience. The result is a multi-layered exploration of sugar, its global routes, and its history spanning the distance between Jamaica and Hamburg.
Follow the trail of sugar through the Speicherstadt and HafenCity, immerse yourself in photographic finds, maps, sounds, and memories, and experience an audiovisual installation featuring original spoken-word pieces on the "Zukunftsdeck" (Future Deck) of the MS Stubnitz.
To complement the Sweet & Sour theme, Abenafros serves up West African-inspired flavors in an Afro-vegan bowl. Bold flavors, fresh accents, and crunchy textures invite you to enjoy the meal together.
We are also serving homemade Sobolo—a spiced hibiscus flower drink with ginger.
We extend our sincere thanks to our partner, the non-profit association M.Bassy e.V.—a public salon fostering encounters with contemporary perspectives from Africa and the Diaspora—for their support. (www.m-bassy.org)
Abenafros Afro Vegan Food Lab
Abenafros Afro Vegan Food Lab translates stories into culinary experiences. As an Afro-vegan food lab specializing in catering, workshops, and community events, we enrich gatherings and encounters through culinary experiences that bring people together. Inspired by African food cultures, we invite you to experience culture with all your senses.
Dr. Christopher Ashley Burkett er/ihm
Dr. Christopher Ashley Burkett (he/him) recently held a tenure-line Assistant Professor position within the School of Social Work at California State University, Long Beach. He obtained a BA in Psychology from Rutgers College, received his MSW from the University of Michigan School of Social Work, and earned a Ph.D. in Social Work and Social Research from the School of Social Work at Portland State University. Dr. Burkett has 25 years of experience teaching within several academic departments (e.g. psychology, social work, family studies, etc.) across 9 universities in the United States of America. His research agenda is centered on using photo-based qualitative methods of inquiry to expose the ecological, economic, and socio-cultural factors that determine the mental health (help-seeking) experiences (MHHSE) of under-resourced pre-adolescent Black children. Dr. Burkett has also served a diverse population of minoritized kids and their families as an after-school educator, mentor, tutor, and coach for more than two decades.
Ill Will er/ihm
Ill Will (he/him) is an artist, entrepreneur, and cultural innovator at the intersection of music, food, community, and urban culture. Shaped by hip-hop, soul food culture, and diasporic influences from Ghana, Jamaica, the U.S., and Germany, he develops unique formats that bring together artistic expression, social reality, and collective experience.
At the heart of his work lie identity, upward mobility, creativity, street economy, and the power of community. Whether through music, storytelling, curated spaces, or food concepts—Ill Will creates contexts that bring people together, convey emotions, and open new avenues for cultural participation.
His approach is raw, direct, and visionary all at once: art not as an end in itself, but as a tool for connection, movement, and sustainable impact. Between mixtape hustle, branding, and cultural practice, Ill Will develops a distinctive signature style where enjoyment, expression, and community converge.