BOP worked alongside an Associate Artist in parallel with the original production of Don’t. Make. Tea. BOP created this post in line with our goal of creating as many opportunities as we can for disabled artists at all stages of their careers. We were also very aware that this production would provoke reactions that could feed into to further creative conversations and collaborations.

To view the BREW Anthology during the 2024 tour of Don’t. Make. Tea. please visit our Access Table at the venue when you come to see the show.

Zephyr Liddell is a Scottish artist with her own experience of the disability benefits system. She is usually based in Glasgow. Her work often involves making textiles, printed fabrics and crafting objects. For this project, Zephyr was commissioned to create a response to the themes of Don’t. Make. Tea.

To find out more about Zephyr please visit her website.

What happened during the project?

Two workshops were held: 1. Erasure Poetry and 2. Natural Dyeing

Audience members were invited to join textile artist Zephyr Liddell to watch, and respond to, Don’t. Make. Tea. at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in October 2022. In the weeks following the theatre visit, they were also invited to work with others to create a new poetry anthology and collaborative textile work using dyes made of spilt tea. 

Over two workshops, they cut up, scribbled over and erased parts of benefit application forms and legislation to transform these words into original poetry that tells personal stories and shares perspectives. They will also learned how to dye fabric through spilling natural dyes made of tea leaves and other household materials, a process that can be both cathartic and grounding. 

1. Erasure Poetry
This workshop saw participants taking pre-existing documentation related to the disability benefits system (such as application forms) and removing words and phrases from it to create original poetry that reflected participants’ own experiences and perspectives.

2. Natural Dyeing
This workshop saw participants taking textiles and fabric, distorting the appearance of the material and then dyeing it with natural dyes to create new patterns.

Both workshops also held space for discussions around the theme of the disability benefits system. Contributing to these discussions was not compulsory.

If you have any further questions about Brew or Don’t. Make. Tea., please contact all@boptheatre.co.uk