Tea Ov ne

The Tea Tent is a safe space for older LGBTI people at LGBTIQ community events. It also provides a place for intergenerational connection. The concept was launched in 2018, when Midsumma Festival approached Alice’s Garage to set up a space for older LGBTI people at Carnival – which is often hot and has 100,000+ attendees. And so the Tea Tent concept was born. We have made thousands of cups of tea and handed out hundreds of teddy bear biscuits and it warms our hearts. Thanks Midsumma!! 

Every year the Tea Tent has a new theme and we provide art materials to help record people’s reflections on their year. We also try to have a photographer capture images for us. Over time we have realised how powerful it is to draw our wonderful LGBTIQ community in, to meet older people. Check our gallery below. 

Midsumma Tea Tent 2020

Our theme for the 2020 Tea Tents was Pride – we asked Tea Tent patrons: what does Pride mean to you? We made Pride Tshirts and took Pride portraits. Word of the Tea Tent is starting to spread and the number of older LGBTI people we haven’t met before is growing. Feedback is that older LGBTI people see this as a valuing space that helps to make the Festival accessible. We love that. We also love that we have more young LGBTIQ people volunteering in the Tent – because they don’t know any older LGBTI people. Wonderful. This year we had photographer Julian Meehan capturing the event and we invited lots of wonderful community members to come to the Tea Tent to meet older people. 

Geelong

Thanks to Geelong Rainbow Inc for the Invitation to attend Geelong Rainbow Festival to host a Tea Tent. Highlights include our new Tea Tent banner by 12 year old Jax and a wonderful group of volunteers. Check out the album below. HEY GLENN HOW DO I PUT AN ALBUM BELOW

Chillout Tea Tent 2020

Thanks to Daylesford’s Chillout Festival for inviting us to host a Tea Tent in their rural LGBTIQ Carnival Day. Beautiful photographs below, and loved that we had a draft horse in the Tea Tent. See album below. HEY GLENN HOW DO I PUT AN ALBUM BELOW

Midsumma Carnival 2019 

Our second Tea Tent had a Gratitude theme. We made hundreds of cups of tea and invited people to share something they were grateful for. Our volunteer team has grown significantly and we invited photographer Julian Meehan to join us to capture the tent. Here are some of his images. HEY GLENN. HOW DO I PUT AN ALBUM IN HERE

Midsumma Carnival 2018 – the beginning 

Our first ever Tea Tent required a big ring around to encourage older LGBTI people to attend – some had never been to Midsumma Carnival before. Many used the Tea Tent as base camp to explore – or bought people back to the Tea Tent for a cuppa. We made over 100 cups of tea, in proper cups and saucers, heated a babies bottle, put sun screen on a group of gay men, listened to a couple of teenagers stories and played with some kids. We loved it. Thanks Midsumma

Because it was a Carnival first, we invited participants to write their feedback to Midsumma. The messages are beautiful.