Latest Press Release
TRUMP AND VANCE - WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?
Altered State, the Bedminster live talk event, announce their fourth talk of 2025 with TRUMP AND VANCE - WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES? at 7.30pm on Tuesday June 24th at the Hen & Chicken, 210 North St, BS3 1JF.
The talk is the same day as the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague. Will there still be an effective deterrent and alliance at the end of it?
Our panelist General Sir Tim Radford warns of ‘Geopolitical uncertainty, new spheres of influence, emerging alliances and a very real need for the UK and all European allies to own the problem’.
It wasn’t just the bullying of Zelenskyy in the Oval Office fiasco, we’ve all been gobsmacked by Donald Trump’s open admiration for Putin and seemingly siding with Russia on occasion in the Ukraine war. Putin’s ambition may be to split NATO and certainly to divide the US and Europe - is he succeeding and what does that mean for Britain? America First foreign policy and its haphazard application creates profound challenges for the UK. Is NATO viable? Do we need new defence alliances? With their prevarication, has the US lost their deterrent even if they stay in NATO? Foreign Aid has been hijacked to pay for the recent uptick in British defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, but Trump has said he wants that doubled to ensure the US’s commitment to NATO. So who’s going to pay and what are the political choices?
Our panel reflects the deadly seriousness of the issue. Tim Radford was the Deputy Supreme Commander NATO Europe at the time of the most recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, he’s been in the war room with the leaders of all the NATO countries and was at the heart of the alliance’s decision making, he is now a defence and security consultant. He’s joined by Ana Juncos Garcia, Professor of European Politics at Bristol University; Ana has written extensively about the European security architecture and the EU’s ability to resolve conflicts. Then we have Richard Graham, who is the former MP for Gloucester who chaired the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and was on the Joint Committee for National Security. Richard has a breadth of diplomatic experience too and he notes America First’s denigration of their alliances and says ‘Every country pursues its own interests, but appearing to abandon your values and trample on your allies is an odd way to build global partnerships’.
Our host will be Colin Gavaghan, Professor of Digital Futures at Bristol University.
Patrick Irwin from Altered State says “the direction of travel is unmistakable, America First seeks to undo the institutions that have kept us safe all our lives” and Al Farquhar adds “are conquest and spheres of influence really back? And where does that leave little old Britain? We need to talk”.
Tickets from https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/checkout/altered-state-tickets
Previous Releases
GUT ROT – ARE ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS THE NEW TOBACCO?
Altered State, the Southville live talk event, announce their spring talk of 2025 with GUT ROT – are Ultra-Processed Foods the new tobacco? At 7.30pm on Thursday May 1st at the Hen & Chicken, 210 North St, BS3 1JF.
“I’m a little nervous to find out what’s really in what I’m eating! But, the truth will set you free (apparently).” Eliz Mizon, our Altered State host.
“I am looking forward to talking about the role of the microbiome, what is known and still unknown.” Will Shotton, functional nutritionist and fermentologist.
At the talk we will find out what UPFs are, why they make up more than a half of the UK diet, and ask are they really that bad for us? And if we want to nurture our health via our gut, how best to do that?
Will Shotton is a food industry insider. He headed up Nescafe for Nestle for almost a decade. After being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, Will left his role in industry to study gut health and the role of the microbiome in our health and wellbeing. His unique fermentation water kefirs are produced in the Wye Valley at his company Tibico.
Heloise Balme, runs Bristol Food Network day to day as its general manager. She believes passionately in improving the food, nutrition and lifestyle of the city in creative and sustainable ways. She worked for The Community Farm in North Somerset before joining Bristol Food Network and before that for 16 years in strategic roles in the private sector.
Charlie Bigham founded his business from his kitchen in the 90s, today it is a £100 million concern that sells to supermarkets all over the UK. Ready meals are often described as UPF but Charlie is a pioneer of healthy mass market eating and insists that his products should not be given the ultra-processed label. And he has also just brought out his first cookery book. He will tell us why he thinks that it’s a good idea to avoid UPFs and why he thinks larger food corporations are not following suit.
Al Farquhar of Altered State says “I have always wondered how my gut talks to my brain,” Emily Eccles of Altered State adds “I know I eat UPFs but I’m not sure why.”
Tickets including discounts for students, are available from https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/checkout/altered-state-tickets
As well as Colin Gavaghan’s ethics expertise and knowledge of where the law meets new tech, our panel comprises Cllr Cara Lavan, the deputy leader of the Green Party group on Bristol City Council and Dr. Marcus Gilroy-Ware, author and SOAS lecturer on new media and misinformation. Our host will be Rudy Millard. Cara notes “it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed and powerless in the face of Elon Musk’s power grab in the USA. But there are things we can do to prevent a similar state of affairs from happening here in the UK.”
Al Farquhar of Altered State says “he’s unelected, he’s unaccountable and now he’s over here,” Patrick Irwin of Altered State adds “don’t be fooled by the spat with Nigel Farage, Musk means to intervene in UK democracy. We need to talk”
Tickets including discounts for students, are available from https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/checkout/altered-state-tickets
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
BEWARE THE IDES OF MUSK - TIME TO PUT THE BRAKES ON ELON?
Altered State, the Southville live talk event, announce their second talk of 2025 with BEWARE THE IDES OF MUSK - TIME TO PUT THE BRAKES ON ELON? At 7.30pm on Thursday March 27th at the Hen & Chicken, 210 North St, BS3 1JF.
“The richest man on the planet now occupies a position within the US Government that’s seeing him described as potentially the most powerful private citizen in history. It would be complacent to assume that the threat is confined to the USA. How do we make sure that Musk and other members of the multi-billionaire super-elite, are unable to buy control of European democracy?” Colin Gavaghan, Professor of Digital Futures at Bristol University.
Starting with an ugly narrative about ‘remigration’ following the Southport tragedy last summer, Musk has been rapidly ramping up his interest and interventions in UK politics. Raining down misinformation from his algorithmic pole position on X, Musk has embraced Reform - and flirted with giving them £80 million, ten times the previous biggest British political donation – he has eulogised openly racist British operators like Tommy Robinson and called for regime change in number 10. We will talk about how he has attained power like no other before him, how he is utilising that influence and ask what recourse we have to counter it.
HEALTH AND HAPPINESS – THE MAGIC PROPERTIES OF CHOCOLATE AND MUSHROOMS
​
Altered State, the Southville live talk event, introduce their programme for the new year with HEALTH AND HAPPINESS - THE MAGIC PROPERTIES OF CHOCOLATE AND MUSHROOMS at 7.30pm on Thursday February 6th in the Hen & Chicken, 210 North St, BS3 1JF.
​
A panel of specialist Bristolians will talk about just why we need artisan chocolate and medicinal mushrooms in our lives. They’ll get into the science behind their unique properties, go deep on health benefits and explain the mood enhancing capabilities. We will hear about the nature of their sourcing and production in comparison to the methods of Big Food and there’ll be a free mindful tasting led by yoga practioner Miranda Shaw.
​
Bristol can rightly claim to be the home of the chocolate bar, Fry’s having set up shop on the harbourside in the 18th Century. Radek’s Chocolate are a local maker of ethically sourced and sustainably produced artisan chocolate. Joe McDonnell from Radek’s joins our panel and says “Cacao boasts a powerhouse of bioactive compounds which work synergistically to support heart health, enhance cognitive function, regulate mood, and reduce inflammation.”
The Bristol Fungarium are ‘Bristol born and science led’ and they clone and grow medicinal mushrooms. Tom Baxter is a torch bearer for the rapidly expanding interest in the healing opportunitues that mushrooms offer us, he notes "It's a joy to be able to share with you some of the knowledge that has helped build the very foundations of Bristol Fungarium, and the ways in which mushrooms can help add joy and vitality to our lives."
​
The talk will be hosted by Eliz Mizon, Strategy Lead at the Bristol Cable. Eliz will lead the conversation for an hour and following a break, take a half hour of audience questions. As always, the night will end with The Toolbox, where the panel will give their best advice for achieving HEALTH AND HAPPINESS.
Emily Eccles of Altered state adds “I’m really excited for one of our first lifestyle talks, helping us uncover the mysteries of mushrooms and the mood enhancing wonders of chocolate.”
Tickets, including student discounts are available from https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/checkout/altered-state-tickets