" A facilitation model to foster discussions of resiliency (with tea!)"
Tea exists in different forms across various cultures, places, and generations. Likewise, people deal with disasters in many ways. Reciprocitea uses tea as a medium to discuss resilience and other difficult conversations, since it is one of the most subtle but comforting method that provides solace. Our goal is to normalize disaster preparedness as a topic for discussion. The issues and topics we address are difficult things to talk about, and people might find those conversations intimidating. Therefore, we would like to provide opportunity for individuals to actively engage. Conversations between strangers are sparked through answering questions related to disaster preparedness on a collection of tea bags with custom tags. Each tea tag includes a question that encourages discussion and awareness on resiliency against social isolation and other forms of social disasters.
Land Acknowledgement
This project is created, inspired, situated, and reciprocated on the of the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
The journey began at Downtown Eastside Hastings, the heart of Vancouver, B.C. As outsiders to this dynamic neighborhood, we referred to Research 101: A Manifesto for Ethical Research in Downtown Eastside as our guideline during research and throughout the project. One of the key principles we kept is to move towards reciprocity in the benefits for the community and for us from this project. More importantly, how we are going to show our gratefulness and respects to the community in a meaningful way.
Foraging: places of gathering
Places of gathering is where connections are built and strengthened.
We spent the four following weeks mapping and immersing in and around the community as ways to foraging design opportunities. Small vendors and restaurants are our initial entry point for discovery. They function as a crucial place to build connections and preserve cultures that are local to the area. They also have the power to dictate and change a non-local’s perception of the neighborhood. For this project, we want to create a safe space for conversations through providing a kind of experience where people can find a sense of intimacy.
Dumpling: recipe for disaster preparedness
Through wrapping our foraged materials, we created our own recipe for disaster preparedness: Reciprocitea, a facilitation model to foster discussions of resiliency by building a gathering place to reciprocate knowledge and share experience. This recipe is meant to be shared publicly for all communities to use and revise for their own needs.
Through wrapping our foraged materials, we created our own recipe for disaster preparedness: Reciprocitea, a facilitation model to foster discussions of resiliency by building a gathering place to reciprocate knowledge and share experience. This recipe is meant to be shared publicly for all communities to use and revise for their own needs.
Virtual Tea Circle
Global pandemic such as COVID-19 is a disaster for many of us in various degrees. Thus, we want to bring Reciprocitea to the next level through providing alternative methods to individuals who are seeking places for support and guidance in this difficult time. The physical gathering will be converted as a virtual tea talking space to allow broader uses of the service. In the meantime, we want to preserve the ritual of having conversations over tea as a way to provide comfort when discussing difficult topics.
For our virtual version of Reciprocitea, the topics/questions will be available online, and will act as a guide/prompt for visitors of the site to establish or navigate conversations, connect with their community and creating a support network.
Moving on...
For our virtual version of Reciprocitea, the topics/questions will be available online, and will act as a guide/prompt for visitors of the site to establish or navigate conversations, connect with their community and creating a support network.
