P(our) Symposium to discuss ‘understanding’
The P(our) Symposium, which is organised by a bartender collective that includes Monica Berg and Alex Kratena, will this year discuss the theme of ‘understanding’ in its new London home.
The P(our) Symposium, which previously took place in Paris, will take to London’s Village Underground on 24 June for a day of talks and discussions around the theme of ‘understanding’.
Speakers on the day will include agronomist and biodiversity expert Isabella Dalla Ragione, documentary producer Brigitte Sossou Perenyi and author and bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler.
Berg, co-founder of P(our), said: “We’re excited to bring to the fore this year’s theme of ‘understanding’, looking at it from different perspectives – where it comes from, why it’s important, where more is needed and how it can be built.
“A lot of things are happening in our industry, and I think we just need to come together and discuss it, but not on Facebook, and we need to find solutions so that everyone can heal and understand why we do the things that we do and then we can grow from there.”
P(our) was created in 2016 by Berg alongside Alex Kratena, Simone Caporale, Ryan Chetiyawardana, Jim Meehan, Joerg Meyer and Xavier Padovani. The symposium was launched to enable the industry to embrace change and equality, and to help make a difference to the on-trade.
This year will mark the first time the symposium has taken place in London, rather than Paris.
“I think that it will be interesting to give P(our) a new audience,” said Berg. “The London bar scene is very unique and very inclusive and I think it would be nice to give something back to that. I think also P(our) is meant to be a little bit punk and a little bit rough, so I think it fits well with London.”
Tickets for the symposium are free and will be released in April through an application process that prioritises the drinks community. The event will welcome 300 participants.
Last year, the P(our) symposium addressed perfection in the on-trade and featured talks from Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, and Shelby Williams, a solo ballerina with the Royal Ballet of Flanders.
