A PLATE IS A HOMELAND

Alchemy Film & Arts

Using film as a way to come together, have conversations and strengthen community.

A PLATE IS A HOMELAND

Luna Issa began a residency with Alchemy Film & Arts in November 2025. Encompassing curation, cooking and collaboration, A Plate is a Homeland is centred around an exploration of what it means for diasporic cultures to adapt to a Scottish context through food. The project stems from Luna’s experience as an Iraqi-Scot with an interest in cooking as a way to celebrate and preserve heritage and culture, and also considers ways in which ‘new cultures’ are created through adapting traditional recipes.

Luna Issa is an Iraqi-Scottish artworker. Her work is centred around a passion for Iraqi and SWANA art and culture, and spans cooking, curation and production. She is invested in community-building, both local and diasporic.

Luna runs SUMAG, an Iraqi-inspired food project, is a seasonal chef at Woodlands Community Development Trust and is 1/4 of WSHWSH, a community-centred SWANA club night and events collective.