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.
Xingchen Lin is a Manchester-based cultural practitioner and doctoral researcher at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Her practice is grounded in museum education, community engagement, and cultural heritage.
She is the founder of T Cube, a research-led initiative that investigates the intersections of tea, identity, and participatory culture through creative programming. Her recent projects include tea-based workshops at Manchester Art Gallery and collaborations with local diaspora communities. Upcoming engagements include participatory tea workshops at Manchester Museum.
Xingchen’s practice reflects her interest in using sensory, everyday cultural rituals to explore ideas of belonging, hybridity, and cultural translation in contemporary contexts.
