Setting up this experiment, we used a large space and normal lighting. Three of our group members laid on the floor in various states of dress, we then used various different sweets, cream and chocolate sauce to cover their bodies. all parts of their bodies had something edible on them, including the palms of their hands, their breasts and their mouths. We then invited three members of audience at a time and told them to ‘help themselves’, this received a very wide range of reactions and responses. Although it was very aesthetically pleasing, many recoiled from the situation. Others we found would approach and take a sweet either from a place of the body such as the arm and others would take a sweet from a more vulnerable place if it was a sweet they particularly liked. When we felt each trio of audience had enough time in the room we would take them out of the room and ask them questions that they would answer, here are some examples:

Q. Do you have one word you could describe your experience with?           A. Different  A. weird   A. Awkward  A. Sad

Q. What were your first thoughts and did they change throughout?           A. Alright then… I looked more as I first walked in I didn’t no where to look but as it went on I felt more confidence to look.
A. quite awkward I felt like they were victims I felt sorry for them, when you said help yourself I felt like I shouldn’t I felt a bit conscious of touching
so I took a sweet from a clothed part of one of their bodies.
A. I felt sad when I first walked in like I had been at a funeral, it felt very agh.

Q. Did you take a sweet?                                                                                       A. I took a   flump from her mouth as I felt it would be uncomfortable for her to have there.
A.  I took a wrapped sweet from a clothed part of her body.
A. I went for Livvie as she was the least dressed I felt like I deserved to give her something, she was there for me to be able to take something and
I  thought I should as  she put her self out there, I took it from her breasts.
A. I thought I should go for Livvie as she was most vulnerable I took the flump from between her legs as it looked uncomfortable for her.

From the Interviews after we found that people did not feel comfortable with the situation. Most of us have taken a sweet from somebody if we have been offered, but this unnatural setting where it looked like they did not have a choice changed the innocent act of eating a sweet.

The member of our group who were human dinner plates said the following:

Livvie, naked: Actually really nervous, more nervous then I thought I would be, even though I was covered in sweets I felt really exposed, I opened my eyes at the end which made me even more nervous. I found it really interesting that the first sweet that was taken was one from my mouth, and that made me feel more exposed. I felt like that sweet covered me.

Chloe, most clothed: At the start I felt terrified, I could here people talking about the experiment which made me very aware they were looking. Sweets were taken from my chest, stomach and leg. It was interesting because at times people missed sexual areas and other people just went for it.

Becca, underwear: I felt like I was going to be sick, it didn’t get easier and when my eyes were open no one was in the room but I couldn’t help but to think, what if I have to watch someone do this? They mostly took sweets from my legs but hen someone took  a sweet from my stomach I was very self conscious.

Anon. (2013) Questions on Experience of the human plate. (Interview) Interviewed by Lauren Olerenshaw, 27 November.