How many connections can we make with 40 cups?

Even before there was a war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic had started, I often found myself glued to the news, feeling a terrible sense of foreboding that the world was on a trajectory towards more and more division and fear.

I began making small cups by hand out of porcelain, each cup featuring a portion of a short story that I wrote about conflict and understanding, and just like us, each cup was to be unique and none perfect. Once the short story was fully spread over cups, the plan was to randomly give the cups away, in exchange for a commitment: to invite someone you don’t know so well to share a drink; share a photo of the experience; and either keep the cups and ideally do it again, or pass them on.

I finished making the last cup, number forty, just as the pandemic started. And so, it was only in August 2022, with the pandemic under control, that it seemed safe to launch Project 40 Cups.

My hope is that this project will help to create new connections, break down boundaries and bring us closer together, safely, in this time of division and fear. Perhaps all it takes is an extended invitation and a cup of tea?