About the performative intervention

Around the Table is a facilitated dinner party with structured directives that create an opportunity for guests to become more physically and emotionally aware of each other’s needs before engaging in challenging discussions. The five-course menu features a fusion of dishes from cultural identities involved in The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran Deal during 2015. Through topic-based discussions, guests explore negotiation as a concept and consider how their own experiences are situated in a framework of relational ethics.. Each question was translated into Farsi, Chinese, Russian, French, Italian, and German on the paper placemats. Guests are encouraged to approach the dinner with curiosity and a desire for nourishment, while also reflecting and responding to specific questions between each course. Reflections are meant to be used as talking points for discussions.