‘You, Me & Tea’ is a new social heritage project, developed by leading diversity charity ArtsEkta and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Filled with tea-tastic stories, memories and collections, it looks at the heritage of tea in Northern Ireland and the connections with China and India.

‘You, Me & Tea’ discovers the origins and history of tea and its journey to Ireland, as well as the story of past tea merchants and present tea suppliers.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy welcomed the new exhibition, declaring her over-arching love of a hot cuppa.

‘YOU, ME AND TEA’ LAUNCH. . . . The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Sandra Duffy and Bernadette Walsh, Tower Museum Archivist, pictured chatting over a cuppa at the launch of the 'You, Me & Tea' Exhibition in The Tower Museum, Derry on Wednesday morning. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)

“We are a nation of tea-lovers, myself included, and this is lovely to see this heart-warming exhibition come to the Tower Museum for the Spring.

"Like a lot of us, I absolutely love a cup of tea, and I couldn’t be without it. It’s fascinating to learn about the origins and connections with China and India and how it ended up here in Ireland.

“I’d like to welcome the developers ArtsEkta to Derry and thank them for bringing this interesting exhibition here.

" Everyone loves tea and everyone will love to learn more about it. ArtsEkta do a fantastic job at brining communities together by creating projects that inspire audiences to engage with the diversity, tastes, rhythms and sights that make up the multicultural life here in Ireland.”

The Mayor, Sandra Duffy pictured at the ‘You, Me & Tea' Exhibition launch at the Tower Museum on Wednesday morning last.

The exhibition will be working with several community groups across Northern Ireland and will include an engagement programme of talks and workshops for visitors, the project looks at bringing the Chinese and Indian communities together as participants, artists, and volunteers to have a brew together and discuss all things tea related.

The ‘You, Me & Tea’ exhibition will be hosted in The Tower Museum from April 19 until June 30.

For more information, please visit: www.youmeandtea.org/about

Derry's Tower Museum to host exhibition on the history of tea and its journey to Ireland

"Like a lot of us, I absolutely love a cup of tea, and I couldn’t be without it. It’s fascinating to learn about the origins and connections with China and India and how it ended up here in Ireland.

" Everyone loves tea and everyone will love to learn more about it. ArtsEkta do a fantastic job at brining communities together by creating projects that inspire audiences to engage with the diversity, tastes, rhythms and sights that make up the multicultural life here in Ireland.”