Raising the Bar 2023
Turning some of Sydney's best bars into classrooms for one night only.
In partnership with 
Overview
Let's face it — you don't necessarily expect to walk out of a bar feeling smarter. But the global initiative Raising the Bar looks to do just that, pulling education out of classrooms and injecting it into unexpected locations with talks on all things wacky, sustainable and scientific — including addiction, cybercrime, manufactured blood vessels and climate change.
Hailing from New York then annually touring Hong Kong, London and beyond, Raising the Bar returns to Aussie shores in partnership with the University of Sydney and City of Sydney, to take over Sydney bars for one night only.
Fifteen Sydney haunts — including The Abercrombie, Brix Distillers, Atomic Brewery, Soultrap and the Ace Hotel —are getting involved in this free event, with each venue hosting talks at 6pm and 8pm. The venues will be open for business, too, so you can grab a drink and some food to snack on while you try to wrap your head around the game-changing, boundary-pushing subject matter.
Some of Sydney's brightest minds will come together to discuss research findings and specialist areas — from CEOs and up-and-coming visionaries to local professors and lecturers. And the conversation topics are about as varied as you can get, so it's unlikely you won't find something to sink your brain into.
Speakers include Prof. Stefan Williams on his years of experience in underwater exploration, Josh Ismin on the therapeutic potential of magic mushrooms, Paul Millett on the vertical future of farming and Barbara Stephen on Sydney's growing role in the global entertainment industry.
Registration for each individual event is a must, so to check out the full program and nab your free ticket, visit the website.
