Ban-quet
Culture for Impact is an annual recognition by the Museum for the United Nations - UN Live, celebrating cultural initiatives that harness popular culture to tackle societal challenges and inspire change. One such initiative is Ban-quet, an experiential project showcasing how food and dialogue can build empathy. Held in the divided city of Nicosia, Cyprus, it brings people together from both sides of the UN buffer zone.
The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), established in 1964, helps maintain peace and security along the buffer zone, facilitates inter-communal dialogue, and supports humanitarian activities between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The UN buffer zone, often called the Green Line, stretches approximately 180 kilometers (112 miles) across Cyprus.
The first Ban-quet focused on food as a gateway to discuss culture and identity, while the second explored the sensory experience of Kaimakli, a multicultural neighborhood. Participants reflected on how sights, smells, and tastes connect to memory and belonging, sparking conversations about their shared history and hopes for a united future.
In this dialogue, UN Live’s Lead Curator Annesofie Norn speaks with experiential designer and Creative Director, Marina Ierides, to explore how Ban-quet uses food to create safe spaces for storytelling and inspire meaningful change.
UN Live: We have been incredibly excited to learn about your initiative! What does it mean for you and ‘Ban-quet’ to get highlighted on the 2024 Culture for Impact List?
Marina Ierides: Being highlighted on the 2024 Culture for Impact List is a tremendous honor for both Ban-quet and myself. It validates the power of small, human-centred initiatives to create meaningful change, even in divided and complex contexts like Cyprus. For Ban-quet, it’s a recognition of the effort to bring people together across barriers—both physical and ideological—and to inspire empathy, connection, and dialogue. For me, it’s a reminder of how impactful creative, everyday experiences like sharing a meal or walking through a neighbourhood can be. It’s an opportunity to show the world that change begins at the human level.
UN Live: From your own experience, what do you believe is the power of popular culture to change hearts and minds?
Marina Ierides: Popular culture connects people through shared experiences, whether it’s food, art, or storytelling. It provides accessible entry points to complex conversations, breaking down barriers and fostering empathy. By engaging people in familiar yet meaningful ways, it can challenge assumptions, spark dialogue, and inspire collective action.
UN Live: What drew you towards using food to spark positive change?
Marina Ierides: The significance of food and table gatherings lies in their ability to connect people, transcending cultural, linguistic, and social barriers. Across the world, sharing a meal is a universal act that fosters communication, community, and mutual understanding. Food serves as an expression of identity and heritage, with each dish carrying stories, traditions, and memories. Sitting together at a table transforms the act of eating into a ritual of togetherness, creating a space for dialogue and trust. In many cultures, offering food is a symbol of hospitality and generosity, and it fosters openness. Table gatherings also provide an equal platform where everyone contributes and shares, encouraging meaningful exchanges even in contexts of conflict or division. Beyond nourishment, these moments often mark celebrations, milestones, and shared memories, deepening personal and collective bonds. Ultimately, food and table gatherings are more than just physical sustenance; they are powerful tools for storytelling, cultural exchange, and building empathy. By uniting people over a shared human experience such as a meal, food and table gatherings highlight our commonalities while celebrating our diversity, making them transformative spaces for connection and understanding across cultures.
UN Live: It’s truly remarkable, and a good reminder. What has been the impact of your initiative so far?
Marina Ierides: Ban-quet has created opportunities for dialogue and connection between divided communities in Nicosia, breaking down physical and cultural barriers. It has given participants a safe space to share their stories, reflect on their shared history, and imagine a future of unity. The initiative has helped build bridges of understanding between people from each side of the divide, even in a context where division often feels insurmountable.
UN Live: Can you share a couple of examples of when you experienced that your initiative made a real impact for someone?
Marina Ierides: One of the most impactful moments came after the experience when, instead of parting ways and continuing with their day, participants (those who could) chose to cross the border and meet for a self-initiated beer gathering. This extended the connection beyond the table, showing the power of the experience to inspire deeper bonds. To my surprise, some attendees from the event have stayed in touch and remain in active communication even now. Another meaningful outcome was that individuals who are politically restricted from crossing the border, yet have always been curious about the other side and its people, were able to participate in this shared banquet. In doing so, they symbolically defied the division and connected in a way that transcended the physical barrier.
UN Live: What are you hoping that others can learn from your initiative, and what is your dream for the initiative?
Marina Ierides: I hope that others can learn how to approach complex and divisive topics, like the division in Cyprus, from a human-first perspective rather than a political one. The subject of division often polarises people into extreme beliefs, making it difficult to find common ground for meaningful dialogue. Through initiatives like Ban-quet, I aim to break down these larger, contentious issues into approachable, everyday conversations that focus on shared human experiences. By stripping away the political overlay that often highlights the negative, the project encourages participants to see the people behind the division, fostering empathy and understanding. My dream is to continue guiding conversations that prioritise connection and humanity, inspiring others to challenge entrenched narratives and create spaces for dialogue that transcend borders—both physical and ideological.
UN Live: At the centre of UN Live’s work and thinking is the importance of building empathy and global belonging for a positive future for all, where popular culture is an important building block. How would you say that your initiative is building on that?
Marina Ierides: Through food, storytelling, and sensory exploration, Ban-quet emphasises our shared humanity, encouraging empathy by allowing participants to see the world from another’s perspective. It fosters a sense of belonging by creating a space where everyone’s voice, culture, and contribution matter equally, regardless of the divisions that typically define their lives. Ultimately, Ban-quet demonstrates how everyday actions—like sharing a meal or reflecting on one’s surroundings—can inspire deeper understanding and collective hope for unity.
UN Live: At its simplest, what is your message for the world?
Marina Ierides: See the human first—without judgment or preconceptions. Break down complex topics into approachable, heartfelt conversations that connect us on a deeper, more empathetic level.
A big thank you to Marina Ierides for sharing her incredible story and insights with us. You can see more of her work on her website here: https://www.lamarina-studio.com/
The selection criteria for the Culture for Impact list
The selection criteria prioritize innovative cultural initiatives addressing societal challenges and fostering change:
Culture Innovation: Initiatives that demonstrate a pioneering or significant application of popular culture to address societal challenges or promote positive change.
Genre Diversity: Inclusivity across a spectrum of cultural genres, showcasing a diverse range of creative expressions and innovative approaches.
Topic Versatility: Recognition of initiatives that address a wide array of topics and issues, demonstrating the versatility and adaptability of cultural genres.
Global Inclusivity: Emphasis on initiatives that contribute to cultural impact on a global scale, promoting inclusivity and representation from various regions around the world.
Dual Impact Approach: Acknowledgment of initiatives that have achieved significant reach while also recognizing the nuanced impact of smaller-scale efforts that contribute profoundly to cultural change.