(in collaboration with türkischer Frauenverein Berlin)
Tea Sugar Dream* explores the concept of joy in collaboration with women* from the first generation of migrants from Turkey who came to Berlin in the 60s-80s as guest workers or family members of guest workers. Evolving around the question of how happiness and unhappiness are distributed and located in certain bodies and groups, the project focuses on the experiences of aged women, many of whom do not speak German and face challenges such as low-treshold work and unpaid care work after arriving in Germany, dealt with migration melancholy. The project comprises periodic meetings, gatherings, and group conversations in both private and public spheres. The events are open and free of charge for all women and non-binaries with migration experience who can speak Turkish.
*"Tea Sugar (a) Dream" is a wordplay, evoking the Turkish expression for thank you, teşekkür ederim.
Workshops:
Oyun Bahçesi (Play garden) by Yasemin Köker
Dansla Neşe Dolu Bir Gün (A Joyful Day with Dance) by Gizem Aksu
Kolaj Sofrası (Collage Table) by Hilal Bozkurt
Şarkı Çemberi (Singing Circle) by Nursena Topcuoğlu
The credits of the images used in the collage: Claude Cahun, Emine Can, Elinor Carucci, Ergun Çağatay, Eda Çekil, İpek Çınar, Sabiha Çimen, Elin Danielson-Gambogi, Zehra Doğan, Isadora Duncan, Charles C. Ebbests, JR, Thomas Kelley and William Leftwich, Abigail Heyman, Lewis Hine, Frida Kahlo, Phillippe Kahn, Gülsüm Karamustafa, Rinko Kawauchi, Cem Kaya, Sean Lee, Steve Mccurry, Martin Parr, Monica Rohan, Julian Opie, Aslı Özdemir, Ali Saltan, Lieko Shiga, Alec Soth, Newsha Tavakolian, Erdem Varol, Carrie Mae Weems, William Wegman, Rachel Whiteread, John Williams.
Despite all my efforts, I was unable to identify the authors or rights holders of all images in this collage. Please address me for further notice.
Collective collage produce by Hilal Bozkurt, Emine Can, Julianne Chua, İpek Çınar, Gülşen Dur, Aysel Özçoban, Nevim Şen and Nursena Topcuoglu
Poster of final event, Altın Günü.
Designed by Nursena Topcuoğlu
Final kısır&karaoke party playlist, curated from the songs participants have sung.
Between November 22 - December 2, 2024, the collective collage was exhibited in Berlin with the support of Außenstelle initiative.
Workshop participants who contributed to the selection and development of workshop topics in 2023 (no particular order): Emine Can, Doğa Akyürek, Aysel Özçoban, Gülşen Dur, Gülten Abacı, Nevim Şen, Beser Sonar, Sevim Tezcan, Melike Türkmen, Latife Faydalı, Türkan Akis.
Workshop lecturers (in chronological order): Yasemin Köker, Gizem Aksu, Hilal Bozkurt, Nursena Topcuoğlu.
Special thanks to Kristina Leko and Oscar Ardila Luna; Selda Asal and Apartment Project Berlin for hosting us at the final event; Nachbarschaftsgarten Kreuzberg for hosting us during the first workshop.
In the summer of 2025, in collaboration with Orta Okul as part of the project Unheard Stories: Türkischer Frauenverein Berlin and Beyond (commissioned by Türkischer Frauenverein Berlin), four additional artists were invited to lead workshops exploring themes of joy and migration.
For more information, please visit Orta Okul’s website.
Workshops:
Hareket Atölyesi: Şiirden Dansa (The Movement Workshop: From Poetry to Dance) by Gizem Aksu
5 duyu 1000 yayla (5 senses 1000 plateau) with nanay fanzin (Güney Tekin & Mayıs Tokel)
Suyun Alfabesi: Hikaye Anlatma Atölyesi (The Alphabet of Water: A Storytelling Workshop) by Bilge Emine Arslan
Project coordinators of Unheard Stories: Berlin Turkey Women Association and Beyond: İpek Çınar & Ece Gökalp
Workshop lecturers (in chronological order): Gizem Aksu, Güney Tekin, Mayıs Tokel, Bilge Emine Arslan
Special thanks to Türkischer Frauenverein Berlin for the invitation; Nachbarschaftshaus Urbanstraße and Spore Initiative for hosting us during different workshops.