LEWISTON – Lewiston’s Bates Mill No. 5 was the backdrop Sunday for a “performative meal” prepared with three unique ingredients: the history, culture and politics of Androscoggin County. Whipping up the culinary treat were Bates College students and faculty, in collaboration with Museum L-A.

“A performative meal is not musical theater nor is it dinner theater. It is more performance art,” said Dr. Myron Beasley. “It is an event where food is both subject and object of the event.”

The Bates students, all of whom are taking a seminar taught by Beasley, worked with homeless shelters, farmers, restaurants and social agencies to gather people’s stories, histories and recipes. Their research culminated in Sunday’s “Savoring Androscoggin County: Food, Culture and Performance,” under the direction of Beasley and chef, scholar and performance artist Richard Gough of the University of Wales in England.