Transforming conflict-ridden Cyprus through music: Building bridges across the divide

This study focuses on a bi-communal choir situated in Cyprus, whose members are made up of Greek and Turkish Cypriots. A holistic case study was conducted in order to evaluate the influence of the bi-communal choir on its regular members with respect to their (i) initial motives; (ii) viewpoints on social and cultural interactions; (iii) problems they might have faced after joining the choir and their (iv) opinions on the impact of the choir on conflict transformation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members from both communities, amounting to a total of 24 participants. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis method. Research findings show that the bi-communal choir may play a role in the name of peace in the island, by improving the communication and relationship between the two communities and by instilling a sense of coexistence and sharing of values by making music. Findings also show that peace is hindered not only by lack of political communication, but also by a lack of communication between ordinary people.