– Coffee can do anything very special, says the cultural mediator Josepha Kuitse Kunak Thomsen.
She has been based in Denmark for a number of years. Here, in recent years, she has performed everywhere at schools, institutions and at large events with mask dance. But she also likes to go out and talk about Greenland – now she has a new tool in the communication toolbox.
– Coffee can do anything very special, says the cultural mediator Josepha Kuitse Kunak Thomsen.
She has been based in Denmark for a number of years. Here, in recent years, she has performed everywhere at schools, institutions and at large events with mask dance. But she also likes to go out and talk about Greenland – now she has a new tool in the communication toolbox.
– I was contacted earlier this year by The Brew Company – a coffee company in Middelfart – who wanted to make a special Christmas calendar with coffee and a focus on Greenland, says Josepha Kuitse Kunak Thomsen.
– It sounded exciting, so of course I said yes, thanks to the task. Like everyone in Greenland, I have a very special relationship with coffee.
– Kaffemik is a very special part of our culture. It’s not just about drinking coffee, but about getting together, inviting each other in, sharing stories, food and time with each other. In many ways, coffee is a small part of our social DNA.
Coffee is social
Josepha went to the calendar task with the basic premise that coffee is part of the social community not only in Greenland, but also in Denmark and many other countries. Therefore, coffee is also a perfect tool in the communication context.
– Coffee has a very special ability to bring people together. It creates a moment to stop, be present and share something with each other, because some experiences are simply better when enjoyed together with a cup of coffee in hand.
– In the calendar you get a new coffee every day from 1 to 25 December, but at the same time you can scan a QR code and learn more about Greenland. Through six different themes, you are invited into different stories, perspectives and parts of our culture.
– This is exactly the kind of cultural communication I am passionate about: creating bridges between people through stories, experiences, curiosity – and in this case coffee, explains Josepha Kuitse Kunak Thomsen.
The Danes know too little
It was The Brew Company’s founder and director Ulrik Rasmussen who got the idea to make a Greenlandic coffee Christmas calendar.
– Greenland has filled a lot of the Danish media for several years now, since American President Trump declared that Greenland should be part of the United States, says Ulrik Rasmussen.
– Naturally, I have also followed the media coverage, because for a period hardly a day went by without a story about Greenland on TV.
– Along the way, it occurred to me that both I and other Danes know too little about Greenland – and that gave me the idea to make a real public information Christmas calendar, where people can taste a lot of different types of coffee and then learn more about Greenland.
– I also wanted to go a little deeper than all the information in the media. Get behind the stories and the press’s traditional focus on conflicts. Because regardless of Trump and big politics, there are also the good stories from Greenland.
– I learned a lot about that after I got in touch with Josepha, who is really good at explaining things – and I learned a lot of things that are not necessarily news, but good to know. Nice to know, as they say.
Patented coffee bag for people on the go
The Brew Company has existed for 18 years – and sales are focused on the company’s special patented “brewer”. A small bag with a built-in filter that allows you to brew coffee (or tea) anywhere there is access to boiling water.
– We are particularly big on the outdoor market, but customers who travel a lot also benefit from the coffee brewer. It contains high-quality coffee. Then a little boiling water must be added – and after six to eight minutes, you have two cups of Barista-quality coffee, explains Ulrik Rasmussen.
– My goal in this task has been cultural dissemination. But I can also see great opportunities for The Brew Company in Greenland. The small bag of good coffee is perfect for reindeer hunting, says Josepha Kuitse Kunak Thomsen.
– I am really proud to have been part of the development of this Greenlandic coffee Christmas calendar as a cultural consultant. For me, it is a pretty good example of how you can convey Greenland in a way that is both sensual, cozy and curiosity-generating. Because what is more Greenlandic than coffee, asks Josepha Kuitse Kunak Thomsen.
Although the masked dancer and cultural communicator has cheated and looked at the calendar, she is looking forward to December 1.
– Because then I also start to open the doors myself and see what little piece of Greenland is hidden behind today’s coffee. And I wonder if I can taste the difference between the different types of coffee.
