DOORS 6PM // KITCHEN OPEN 6PM // SHOW STARTS 7:30PM With guests Mark Alfano, Peter Knight and Sunny Kim After sell-out shows across London, New York and Melbourne, the Sophia Club returns once again to take audiences on an immersive journey of ideas, conversation and performance. What are friends for? What is the nature of friendship? What is its purpose and what does it require? And why do humans have friends in the first place? Ever since Plato explored friendship (philia) in his dialogue Lysis, philosophers have contemplated the meaning of this all-important relationship, how to create it, and why it breaks down. For most of us, life would be inconceivable without the affection and support of friends – those people who recognise us for who we are at a fundamental level and who thereby enable us to flourish. But, as Aristotle observed, there are many kinds of friends, some good, some bad, some merely useful. Friendships are complicated, even contradictory. And though not all friendships are made to last we could hardly go through life without them. Join us for an evening examining the history and nature of this surprisingly strange relationship, with the philosopher Mark Alfano and musical collaborators Peter Knight and Sunny Kim. Hosted by Natasha Mitchell, this event is presented in partnership with ABC Radio National’s Big Ideas. ABOUT SOPHIA CLUB Everyone has a stake in philosophy; its vitality can be drawn out and re-energised through conversation, with each other, and the arts. The Sophia Club creates a space for people to come together, ponder big questions, encounter new perspectives, and appreciate the rich connections between thought, emotions and artistic expression. We call this space Live Philosophy. The Sophia Club is the latest venture from Aeon Media, the publisher of Aeon and Psyche magazines. Our events are produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Woiworung language group of the Kulin Nation, and we respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians. We value the knowledge traditions and rich practice of philosophy among Aboriginal and and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia, and all First Nations peoples around the world.