Tea Transborders: A Tea-Blending Workshop Inspired by Slavs and Tatars

As part of the esea ArtClub summer programme, esea contemporary is delighted to present Tea Transborders — a participatory tea-blending workshop inspired by Slavs and Tatars’ exhibition The Contest of the Fruits. This event invites participants to explore ideas of identity, cultural exchange, and translation through the sensory act of creating personalised tea blends.

Drawing on diverse Eurasian tea traditions—from Hong Kong milk tea to Central Asian green tea—attendees will craft their own unique tea by combining different teas, herbs, and dried fruits.These fruits are inspired by The Contest of the Fruits, Slavs and Tatars’ first film, which brings to life a satirical Uighur poem through a dynamic rap battle between thirteen fruits. Each fruit carries playful cultural meanings, turning the blending process into a creative storytelling experience.

Using specially designed ‘knowledge cards’ enriched with poetic, historical, and political insights, the workshop encourages reflection on themes such as migration, multilingualism, and cultural borders. Working in small groups, participants will share their blends, culminating in a communal tasting and informal discussion. Together, these blends will create a living archive of stories, tastes, and identities.

Tea Transborders is open to all, including esea ArtClub members, with a special invitation to those interested in food culture, diasporic narratives, and metaphor as a way to explore belonging. Spaces are limited, so booking is essential to join this event.

About esea contemporary

esea contemporary is the UK’s only non-profit art centre specialising in presenting and platforming artists and art practices that identify with and are informed by East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) cultural backgrounds.

esea contemporary is situated in an award-winning building in the heart of Manchester, home to one of the largest East Asian populations in the UK. Since its inauguration as a community-oriented visual arts festival in 1986, esea contemporary – previously named Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art – has continuously evolved to establish itself as a dynamic and engaging space for cross-cultural exchanges in the British art scene, as well as in a global context.

esea contemporary aims to increase the visibility of contemporary art practices from the East and Southeast Asian communities and their diasporas. It is a site for forward-thinking art programmes that beyond exhibitions also include commissions, research, residencies, publishing, and a wide range of vibrant public events. esea contemporary values creativity, compassion, interconnectedness, and collectivity in implementing its mission.

Photo by Joe Smith.