Welcome to Tea and Tolerance
Tea and Tolerance is a project of participatory live art for social change. The project was founded in 2014 by artists Jason Hird, Lucy Meredith and Zoe Parker. We were inspired by an event at York Mosque in 2013. The mosque invited some English Defence League (EDL) protesters inside to drink tea. Of course, we found this very inspiring and wanted to build on this courageous response to conflict. Our aim is to get people talking, thinking and doing imaginative things with each other.
The Tea Trolley | A Participatory Live Art Installation
We created the tea trolley first. This installation is a roaming tea trolley that contains various receptacles from all around the world. The trolley and its weird receptacles provoke curiosity. People approach and are then invited by hosts to pick a pot. Inside each pot are small scrolls containing questions.
DrawingACollaboration
This collaboration combines the tea trolley experience with drawing. A visual artist turns ideas spoken about into simple drawings and headlines. Participants can also add their own headlines and drawings. We start to see what matters most within a community through the drawing of peoples’ ideas. See an example here.
Being Human| Conversation Game
The purpose of the game is to provide a catalyst for conversation. Each game has a tea towel, 6 sets of cards, a teapot playing piece and is contained within a tea caddy. You can follow the suggested guidelines. Alternatively, you can choose your own path. This game is not about winning but about taking part. The game is fun and also a catalyst for conversation. Read our blog for many examples of the kinds of answers the game inspiresThe board game is available for purchase ( limited edition). More information here.
Training and Beyond
We offer a range of training courses. This includes a bespoke set of guidelines- Play Nicely guidelines. These are used as a guide for how to speak with other people. We also use a set of coaching and active listening principles. We incorporate a number of other tools.
Remember this simple rule: Everything is recommended, but nothing compulsory.
We work in many communities across Yorkshire and beyond. We develop bespoke projects and activities to fit personally with each project partner. Our projects are suitable for wide range of people and situations.
Get in touch to book or find out more.