The Forum at Q York invites you to ‘think, discuss, explore’, and takes place at the historic Q York venue on Priory St, York. I interviewed one of its founding members, Joel Chapman, to find out more about it.
Joel, can you tell us a little bit of the history of Q as an organisation.
Q was founded over 10 years ago by my parents, although the organisation had existed in many different forms prior. “Q” stands for “Quest”, a journey of exploration, human growth and discovery. Whilst being raised in a staunchly evangelical Christian environment, their personal journey led them to a place of deconstruction.
Q was birthed out of the ultimate realisation that dogmas exist in all sectors of society, whether people realise it or not, and it only ever serves to stifle one’s ability to THINK for themselves. By creating a space for questioning ideas, a truly authentic and rich community began to emerge. They retired in 2022 after establishing an incredible legacy for us to build on
When did The Forum officially launch and what inspired it?
2022 was still fresh after the Covid lockdowns and like many places, these had quite an impact. Despite this, a small group of us firmly believed in the essence of Q and over the next few years began to discover its next chapter. There was no doubt that podcasts, vlogging and the general desire to seek out information had significantly increased, and we wanted to tap into this shift in culture. After reading multiple books about the enlightenment and the philosophy that drove it, it hit me as clear as day: “Let’s call it the FORUM: Your Modern-Day Coffee House and Think Tank.”
For those who aren’t familiar, The Enlightenment was a period in history that brought us out of The Dark Ages, dominated by religion and mysticism and into a time of reason & science, ultimately paving the way to liberty and the western values that we hold today. This was all occurring in coffee houses whereby people from all walks of life would be debating, questioning and exploring life in all its glory. My dad always used to say, “We aren’t here to teach you WHAT to think, but to teach you HOW to think.” I would say this embodies the sound of the Forum in a nutshell. We officially launched in October of 2024.
When do you meet and what can people expect?
Our regular event is on Sunday mornings and we meet three out of four Sundays, so it’s worth checking theforumatq.co.uk for our next event.
Doors open at 9:30am on Sunday mornings to our beautiful, state of the art Coffee House, serving what I would argue to be some of the BEST coffee in York (Don’t worry, we do Tea too)! Alongside this, we offer fresh breakfast items like croissants and bagels. The fire rages, relaxing background music is played, and this time can be enjoyed reading a book or chatting with other guests.
At 10:30am, make your way through to the Forum Hall for the week’s topic. This can be anything from mind stretching lectures to discussion weeks. I have sat on various tables and it’s fascinating to hear different perspectives. We also hold community lectures & live podcasts midweek. The midweek events allow us to go more in depth and platform different speakers and experts from many different fields.
The Forum welcomes families and we have a dedicated Q KIDS team for 5 – 11 year-olds, who not only look after them during The Forum topic but also give them great life lessons to build confidence through a fun programme of games and activities.
What is the purpose of the Forum?
The world appears very fragmented at the minute. Politically, things feel extremely polarized and tribal. We are trying to encourage people to break away from tribalism and build confidence in formulating their own thoughts. We have understood that the ideas we hold form the foundation of our actions.
We have witnessed firsthand the benefits and importance of rich conversation and community. We want to help people live consciously and achieve their fullest potential. By challenging accepted conformity, dogma, and the status quo, we are positive we can shape a new generation of thinkers, innovators, and pioneers.
What kind of topics do you discuss and is it accessible for everyone?
Whether it be Philosophy, Psychology, Theology or even Computer Science, we delve into it all. It is absolutely open to all and we would love to see new faces. We are aware that disagreements will occur but we actively encourage this. The Forum rules exist to keep everything courteous and respectful.
What kind of reception has the Forum had?
We are blown away by the response and the impact we have had in such a short space of time. In November, I had the privilege of delivering a lecture on “Learned Helplessness”. This was organised in collaboration with Menfulness, a local charity promoting men’s mental health and the feedback was hugely positive. To get feedback as to how this had impacted people’s lives is what makes it all worthwhile. On the weeks I’m not actively working, I myself get to sit in and listen to the other members of the team and I always leaved enriched because of it.
What do you have coming up?
For all upcoming events, check our events page at: www.theforumatq.co.uk/forumevents
Wednesday 21st May, we have bestselling author and podcaster Yaron Brook discussing ‘The Moral Case for Capitalism’. This delves into the philosophy behind what is a contentious subject. There will be time to ask Yaron questions at the end of the lecture. Doors open 6:30pm (for 7pm start) to 9pm, book your tickets here: www.theforumatq.co.uk/event-details/the-moral-case-for-capitalism-with-yaron-brook
Thanks Joel!
The Forum at Q takes place at Q York, 9 Priory St, York, YO1 6ET. For more information and to join their mailing list, visit: www.theforumatq.co.uk
Paul Thomas is co-founder of The Leeds Salon public discussion forum.