From a glimpse into the reality behind brilliant true crime stories, to a deep dive into the wellness industry and a look at the media’s role in democracy, the City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters’ Raising the Bar event brings big and compelling ideas to your local front bar this August.

Derrick McManus was shot 14 times while working as a Special Tasks and Rescue Group (STAR) officer. As he lay on the ground alone for three hours, bleeding profusely, he felt no fear.

here are only a handful of South Australians who will ever need to navigate something as extreme as Derrick’s do-or-die situation. But, in the nearly 30 years since the shooting, Derrick has come to realize, after becoming (at first reluctantly) a regular speaker, that the skills that got him through his worst moments are easily transferable.

“I talk to kids in schools,” says Derrick. “For children, their challenges have to do with bullying, exclusion, homework, getting along with teachers, sports that interrupt their studies.

“For hairdressers, what is your challenge? It could be clients, staff or finances, so let’s talk about your real challenges and take what I took to the special forces and apply it to you. It’s about preparing for what you can really expect to find as a result of your choices.”

On Tuesday, August 9, Derrick will bring his thoughts on human strength and durability to the Alma Tavern. His talk will be one of 20 to take place in 10 bars and pubs that night in the Norwood Payneham and St Peters (NPSP) neighborhood as part of Raising the Bar Adelaide.

This is the fifth year that the city of NPSP has hosted a Raising the Bar event, with the format, which aims to make complex topics more accessible by bringing experts to a relaxed bar environment, which originated in New York in 2014.

Among the other ideas explored at places like Little Bang Brewing and Lambrook Wines are the relationship between law and religion, South Australia’s role in the first space race, and the human cost of the true crime genre.

Mayor Robert Bria says the expanded program of 20 talks is a testament to how Raising the Bar is moving forward with locals.

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Raising the Bar