13 February & 19 June

Voltaire, craftsman of the Enlightenment

Free

Explore the life and work of Voltaire, concentrating on his formative years in Geneva when he produced key Enlightenment writings such as Candide. The presentation examines his intellectual methods, satirical strategies, and themes of exile, travel and religious critique. It investigates how local experiences influenced his literary production and political thought, revealing the links between personal circumstance and broader eighteenth-century debates about reason, tolerance and public engagement.

In French.

Rue des Délices 25,
1203 Genève

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Photo Credit: Bibliothèque de Genève/Stéphane Pecorini

5 – 7 June

Éclats! — Geneva Literary Festival

Lectures & Workshops

Federal Studio

Éclats! gathers leading francophone writers in short, staged confrontations that examine contemporary issues. Each evening pairs two authors — Giuliano Da Empoli and Hugo Micheron; Asma Mhalla and Hervé Le Tellier; Esther Teillard and Frédéric Beigbeder; Kamel Daoud and François‑Henri Désérable — in moderated discussions investigating global disorder, the ethics of AI, gender and style, and migration and storytelling. Artistic direction is by François‑Henri Désérable. Capacity is limited to 80 spectators per evening.

In French.

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20 April – 7 June

Short-Form Laboratory

Lectures & Workshops

Théâtre des Marionnettes

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.

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Friday 5 June, 09:00

World Environment Day — Now For Climate

Lectures & Workshops

Environment House

This public celebration examines global climate challenges through the “Now For Climate” campaign, exploring how systems change—economies, governance and international cooperation—can accelerate mitigation and adaptation. It highlights multilateral Geneva’s role in coordinating policy, showcases dialogues and forums that build momentum toward the UN climate conference, and outlines practical pathways to repair societies’ relationship with the climate while pursuing justice and resilience.

In English.

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28 January – 23 December

Our Biodiversity: Memory game

Lectures & Workshops

Jardin botanique

This interactive memory challenge invites participants to test their memory while exploring practical ways to preserve biodiversity based on Geneva’s municipal strategy. Players match “before-and-after” images that illustrate individual and institutional actions, and each correct pair reveals concise information explaining the measure. The activity examines themes such as habitat restoration, species-friendly practices, urban greening and policy responses, helping participants understand the impact and rationale behind everyday and organisational conservation choices.

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6 – 7 June

Language Festival

Lectures & Workshops

Écomusée

Bye Bye Binary, a typographic collective, develops inclusive non-binary writing systems and researches typographic practices. Their residency explores designing wooden type, experimental typefaces and printing techniques to question norms of written language.

This festival examines how language shapes perception, permeates political discourse and informs collective imaginaries. Through talks, creative workshops and poetic performances it investigates power and resistance in words, demonstrates ways language can be reinvented or subverted, and reveals implications for identity and social change.

In French.

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28 January – 23 December

Create Your Own Rousseau-Style Herbarium

Lectures & Workshops

Jardin botanique

This workshop explores the traditional process of assembling a herbarium specimen, inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s collections. Participants learn scientific techniques for pressing and mounting dried plants on old paper, practice botanical labelling and nomenclature, and select specimens to create a personal herbarium sheet. The session examines preservation methods, identification principles and the historical context of Rousseau’s approach, combining practical skills with scientific insight to produce a lasting botanical object.

In French.

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Voltaire, craftsman of the Enlightenment