In 2007, when I began studies toward two diplomas, one in textile arts, and one in documentary film this seeming ‘change of focus’ prompted questions from dietetics and research colleagues: Was I changing careers? What did visual arts and film have to do with dietetics and research? In addition to personal reasons for these studies, I wanted ‘time out’ from consulting and research to develop my knowledge and skills in these artforms, and to explore them as means to broaden the reach of research findings. In this article, I discuss the potential for film and visual arts in dietetics practice and education. Arts-based inquiry and practice offer ways to disrupt power differentials, to question what counts as knowledge and whose/what voices ought to count, to invite reflections on and conversations about meanings imbedded in food and in eating behaviour, and to integrate this knowledge into collaborative, client-centred approaches to nutrition education.
