Artists, health and social professionals and others who work with food are invited to a day-long conference to learn more about their trade.

Say AaH 2, now in its second year, is a Brighton and Hove Arts Commission event exploring the potential of art and health initiatives in the city.

The theme of this year's conference is the food chain and the event will focus on how different artists have responded to different stages in the food chain, from production through to distribution, consumption and disposal of waste products.

Speeches, performance extracts and installations will all form part of the programme.

There will also be a networking meal in which participants will be invited to bid for money from a £20,000 Food Challenge Fund.

The event will be hosted by award-winning radio and television presenter Barbara Myers, who won the Medical Journalists' Association Freelance Journalist Of The Year award last year.

Speakers include Martina Watts, a practicing nutritionist and regular columnist for The Argus, Alicia Rios, a food performance artist and historian who has created surreal and edible food art events around the world, and Justin Carter, a lecturer in environmental art and sculpture at the Glasgow School of Art.

An Arts Commission spokeswoman said: "Say AaH 2 is for you if you are an artist who is keen to explore how your practice can make a real difference to how people and organisations produce, distribute, consume and dispose of food and its products.

"If your work involves food in either the private or public sector or you work in health, social care, education or sustainability and are interested in the role arts can play in improving the health of your service users, this event will provide you with inspiration to formulate new ideas and forge new collaborations to make exciting arts projects."

The conference fee is £35 for organisations and £25 for individuals and artists.

For a booking form, call 01273 295045 or 01273 292008.

Monday, October 17, 2005