September – June, Every Thursday

Thursday Debates

The Geneva Debate Club, founded in 2022 as an English-language branch of the Club Genevois de Débat, meets every Thursday evening to provide a structured platform for practicing eloquence and critical thinking. Participants propose diverse topics, are randomly assigned pro or con positions, and engage in timed debates with interactive questioning periods.

With no participation obligation—observers welcome—evenings conclude with voting for the most convincing team and best speaker, followed by friendly bar discussions, creating an inclusive environment for developing debate skills in English.

Every Thursday evening at 18:15 during the university semester.

In English.

Boulevard du Pont-d'Arve 40,
1205 Genève
{"title":"Thursday Debates","description":"The Geneva Debate Club, founded in 2022 as an English-language branch of the Club Genevois de D\u00e9bat, meets every Thursday evening to provide a structured platform for practicing eloquence and critical thinking. Participants propose diverse topics, are randomly assigned pro or con positions, and engage in timed debates with interactive questioning periods.\r\n\r\nWith no participation obligation\u2014observers welcome\u2014evenings conclude with voting for the most convincing team and best speaker, followed by friendly bar discussions, creating an inclusive environment for developing debate skills in English.\r\n\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EEvery Thursday evening at 18:15 during the university semester.\u003C\/strong\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EIn English.\u003C\/strong\u003E","start_date":"2025-09-24","end_date":"2026-06-28","date":"September - June, Every Thursday","timings":[{"timing_start_date":"20250925T161500Z","timing_end_date":"20250925T181500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251002T161500Z","timing_end_date":"20251002T181500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251009T161500Z","timing_end_date":"20251009T181500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251016T161500Z","timing_end_date":"20251016T181500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251023T161500Z","timing_end_date":"20251023T181500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251030T171500Z","timing_end_date":"20251030T191500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251106T171500Z","timing_end_date":"20251106T191500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251113T171500Z","timing_end_date":"20251113T191500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251120T171500Z","timing_end_date":"20251120T191500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251127T171500Z","timing_end_date":"20251127T191500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251204T171500Z","timing_end_date":"20251204T191500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251211T171500Z","timing_end_date":"20251211T191500Z"},{"timing_start_date":"20251218T171500Z","timing_end_date":"20251218T191500Z"}]}

You might also like

19 May – 4 June

Les Ateliers Acrylique are a theatrical school that celebrates the strength of group work and the intensity of stage experience. The workshops present performances written especially for participants — children, teenagers and adults — and are led by professional artists. Creators involved include Nathalie Jaggi, Delphine Demeure, Lua Gomes, Léa Ines Batoua, Evelyne Castellino, Basile Campanelli and Luca Léone. The programme emphasises collective creation, practical stage skills and ensemble dynamics.

In French.

Tuesday 26 May, 12:30

Javier Cercas, acclaimed Spanish novelist born in 1962, speaks about his recent work and approach to contemporary history. Author of internationally translated, prize-winning novels (including The Impostor, The Monarch of Shadows and Terra Alta), Cercas discusses his latest book, Le fou de Dieu au bout du monde (Actes Sud, 2025), written after a Vatican invitation that led him to accompany Pope Francis to Mongolia. The conversation explores authorship, faith, secularism and the ethics of writing about living figures.

In French.

20 April – 7 June

Designed for emerging professionals and recent graduates, this workshop explores puppetry through the creation of a short performance. Four to five young artists are supported through a guided process from idea to stage, with mentorship in direction, dramaturgy and construction. Participants develop a compact work presented at a public work-in-progress showcase. The programme also offers the chance to win a fully funded four-week training placement in 2027 at Odradek, near Toulouse.

In French.

Wednesday 27 May, 19:00

Bastien Blanchard presents a reading of Fabrice Caro’s Rumba Mariachi, offering a close encounter with contemporary French fiction. Blanchard highlights the book’s narrative voice, humour, and subtle emotional currents while guiding listeners through selected passages. The session investigates themes of identity, irony and everyday absurdity, inviting reflection on style and tone. Suitable for readers and those interested in literary interpretation.

In French.

Wednesday 27 May, 18:00

Illustrator Zazie Zanie, with writers Éric Burnand and Hadrien Burnand, presents an illustrated narrative that uses sequential art and lively drawing to stage a rocambolesque investigation.
The comic retraces five decades of a local independent bookstore and Geneva’s militant cultural life, weaving archival echoes with fictionalised episodes. Through rich panels, dialogue and visual detail, the work explores collective memory, self‑management, and the circulation of literature and critical thought. It reveals how small cultural institutions anchor political commitment and communal narratives.

Wednesday 27 May, 18:30

Author Pierre Hazan retraces two centuries of coexistence between Jews and Arabs through his family’s trajectory, intertwining personal narratives with pivotal moments in the Near East.

In conversation with Sébastien Farré, executive director of the Maison de l’Histoire, Hazan examines episodes from Jerusalem to Egypt, revolutionary commitments and the ruptures of the 1940s and 1956, revealing cultural and political hybridizations and the continuing relevance of shared histories.

In French.

Oops! It seems there
are no events matching your selection!

Please adjust your criteria to see more results.

Newsletter

Culture, curated weekly.

Add to Calendar

Select the date to be saved in your Google calendar.

calendar placeholder

Done!

Event removed from your CoolAgenda.

Yeah!

Event Saved to your CoolAgenda

Add to CoolAgenda

In your CoolAgenda

Date

Title

Location

Description

calendar placeholder

Reset password

Password was reset

Your password has been reset successfully. You can now log in with your new password.

Check your Inbox

We’ve sent you a password reset email to the address provided. Please check your inbox and/or spam folder.

Forgot your password?

Thank you!

Please check your inbox for a verification email to complete your sign-up.

Sign Up

Create your Account and Culture Up!