Tea Party// Story of Glass and Class

Performance -Story Telling - Space

Tea Party performed in Dutch Art Institute at Paf ( Performing Arts Forum, St Erme, France), 2023

How does a nation connect with a glass or

How does a nation connect with a class?

Tea arrived in Turkey, lately. Here, Story of a Plant has connections with the story of national identity. Lazistan ( black sea area in Turkey) they used to name Laz in there, where the official tea cultivation began in the 30s with the support of the state. It wasn’t in our daily life until 50s… Today a glass of red drink become a part of our culture. Who is “us” here and how does a glass become part of a nation and culture?

Let's talk about some stories at a tea party. How a glass and class come together in this Party. A glass without a handle, happened to the handle of the glass? Why it was removed

photos taken by Bel, Paf 2023, Dai, Kitchen03

Tea Party is part of the research about the building-up process of the nation-state Turkey. Research specifically focuses on Lazistan (Blacksea area) and Tea culture in the new modern nation.

The performance took in 2 parts, 1 was a dining and gathering at the tea party, second one was the story and party.

+ Tulip-Shaped Tea Glass: A glass shaped like a tulip form, today Turkish Tea and Turkish tea glass have become whole. Yet neither tea nor glass has a national identity. Both arrived from neighbors and were cultivated and adapted during the time.

+Tea Party: In the 70’s - 80’s tea parties are gatherings for youngsters(teenagers) to meet and have fun. They organized gatherings and used the name of tea to hide the reality. Nobody drinks their tea but there is sure something to drink.

+ Happy Tea Recipe:

Take and mixed 3(three) colonial memories;

tea + alcohol(cin) + sugar mix them in the pot with additions.

** Tea braw came from Lazistan + Kurdistan with some additions