reading tea leaves
Next exhibition at Totoro’s Tea House is Hawaiin-theme: Aloha! Tiki! Luau! (think summer, the beach, under-the-sea, hula, vacation, clambake, coconuts, cliche!!) and will go from January 22nd until the end of February. We’re after artists for this show, so if anyone is interested in submitting art or performing at the opening they should contact us at: totoro.teahouse@gmail.com
Thanks to Marni for these photos 
Here are some photos from Friday night’s show at Totoro’s Tea House – hopefully we’ll put a few more up over the next few days. The night was a great success; we drank strawberry punch, enjoyed the talent (see the line up below), and ended it all with a bout of violent hula-hooping accompanied by Honky Tonk Classics.
The exhibition will stay up for the next month, so come take a look and enjoy a pot of tea (or coffee – we now do percolated coffee!) All of the works are for sale, so if you’re interested in a particular piece please let us know and we can send you the details.
And just a reminder, our opening hours are currently: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10.00am – 5.00pm
Art by:
Rebecca Murphy
Neil Tomkins
Jessica Klingelfuss
Licky the Cream
Trine Deans
David Hampton
Grant Hunter
Licky the Fox
Performances by:
Barry’s Bag
Holographic Cocoon
Bhenjamin Phraser
A Dire Dawn
New Caledonian Blue
& tea leaf reading by Madame Moonwort!
Just over a week until our circus show so hurry up and get in contact if you’re interested in being involved. Can you juggle? Paint faces? Hula hoop? Join our circus! It doesn’t really travel and it’s only for one night:
Friday 4th of December, 6.00pm-10.00pm
Totoro’s Tea House – 1/111 Hunter Street, Newcastle
Featuring: art, music, performance, tealeaf reading, popcorn, costumes…
This is set to be an AH-MAZING night… DON’T BE BORING! COME TO THE CIRCUS!
As always, please make emails to: totoro.teahouse@gmail.com
We have exciting plans for a circus-themed exhibition, so if you’re interested in being involved please get in contact. We’re after artworks, writing, performance, anything with a circus theme. The tea house will be transformed into a beautiful big-top for the event! Exhibition starts mid-November, opening date not yet confirmed.
totoro.teahouse@gmail.com for more information.
Oh hi.
We have this amazing space on the Hunter Street Mall in Newcastle that is just sitting empty for four days of the week. We’d really love if you were to organise some events to take place in our shop: workshops, discussions, exhibitions, readings, launches, performances, private (tea)parties…
We have couches, tables + seating, free wifi, and a selection of delicious teas. If you’re interested in using the space then contact us at: totoro.teahouse@gmail.com
What an amazing and amazingly exhausting weekend we have had! Our opening was a great success and we were far too busy to be taking photos, but here are a few that have surfaced from the weekend:
Lazy afternoon.
Delicious soy chai + honey for two.
Craig Schuftan’s disco lecture, ‘You Can’t Stop The Musing’.
National Young Writers’ Festival Roundtable Discussion: Space invaders: DIY and artist-run festivals.
Maddy Phelan plays Indie-Breaky Heart.
Thank-yous to all our friends (old + new) for dropping by, Craig and Kirileigh, the Format kids, Leigh, and anyone else who did some dishes!
We’ll be open this week: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 10.00am – 5.00pm serving delicious tea and soup!!
Today I finished painting the sign we made for the inside of the shop. It will hang above the counter where previously there was a horrible fluorescent thing advertising the ‘energy bar’ that once stood where we do now. I didn’t think too hard about it and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out – it’s fluid and unfinished and charming, which is how I would like our tea house to be also.
Maybe I will do some more work on it later… that black is awfully black! What do you think?
Today I began work on our sign:
& I upholstered a chair:
I think it turned out quite nice,
& Totoro seems to agree:
We found five of these chairs on the street and fixed them up, and the fabric came from op-shop Friday at the church down the road from my house. I still have four to upholster, so I am going to use different fabric on each one. It is very comfortable to sit on because it has much more padding than a regular chair!
This is it… same information, slightly more pleasing to the eye:
…& for anyone wondering where to find the tea house, it’s just a short walk from Newcastle train station. We’re on the corner of Hunter and Morgan Streets, in the Hunter Street Mall.
