The Leeds Salon is a public discussion forum founded in February 2009. The Salon organises discussions around political, cultural and scientific issues, with the aim of challenging any orthodoxies along the way, defending and developing the legacy of the Enlightenment and, above all, providing a space where free speech can take place. Find out more.
next salon
Saturday 5 April 2025
Forecasting Failure: A Short History of the Future
In the first of three Saturday afternoon talks at Mill Hill Chapel asking ‘What Happened to the Future?’, we welcome back Professor of Forecasting & Innovation, James Woudhuysen, to discuss the failings of forecasting. From the exuberance of Jules Verne to the forebodings of HG Wells, visions of the future are well known to say more about their own times than they do about the […]
forthcoming salons
Saturday 26 April 2025
Contemporary Dystopia: The Return of Apocalyptic Thinking
In the second of three Saturday afternoon talks at Mill Hill Chapel asking ‘What Happened to the Future?’, we welcome back write Tim Black to discuss why the apocalyptic exerts such a powerful pull on the modern imagination. End-thinking seems to abound today. Politicians and activists alike warn daily of the ever-impending climate catastrophe. Others talk excitedly of the next pandemic or of the world-ending […]
salon & school debating news
The Womble Bond Dickinson / Leeds Salon Years 10&11 Debating Competition 2025
Wednesday 2 April, the final of the ‘The Womble Bond Dickinson / Leeds Salon Years 10&11 Debating Competition 2025’ takes place at the WBD offices over looking the River Aire.
This is the third year that leading transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (Leeds) has been Headline Partners in our annual debating competition for 14-to-16 year-olds, now in its twelfth year.
Six schools competed over three qualifying rounds and, in round order, Carr Manor Community School, Abbey Grange CofE Academy and Guiseley School won through and will compete in the final to be crowned 2025 champions.
Prize Sponsors for the final include regular sponsors Royal Armouries Museum (Leeds) and the University of Leeds’ Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre, and new prize sponsor UKREiiF, the Leeds-based UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum.
Final details can be seen here.
Prize Sponsors
Sixth Form Debating Competition 2024
Wednesday 27th November the Royal Armouries Museum (Leeds) hosted its second annual sixth form debating competition in partnership with The Leeds Salon, and this year sponsored by leading transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (Leeds).
The competition involved 6 schools competing to be crowned 2024 champions – Bradford Grammar, Guiseley School, Notre Dame Sixth Form College, Pudsey Grammar, St Mary’s Menston and The Grammar School at Leeds.
The school were divided into two groups of three. Bradford Grammar and Notre Dame won their groups and, after battling it out in a final debate on ‘Britain should pay reparations for its colonial past’, the judges voted 2-to-1 in favour of Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form Collage to become Royal Armouries 2024 champions (pictured left).
So, congratulation to Notre Dame and commiserations, but well done to, to Bradford Grammar for making it such a closely fought final.
There were also three Royal Armouries individual prizes awarded to the students who most stood out to our team of individual judges:
- Best Individual: Orin Mabe of Notre Dame Sixth Form College (centre).
- Highly Commended Individual: Iris Podesta of Guiseley School.
- Commended Individual: Zainab Mahmood of Bradford Grammar.
There was also a separate Leeds Salon Individual Prize awarded to the person who best represents the spirit of Enlightenment inquiry by asking lots of good, incisive questions, and this was won by Jamie White of Guiseley School.
Prize Sponsorship was provided by the Interdisciplinary Ethics Applied (IDEA) Centre of the University of Leeds. And the competition used the format and topic guides of Debating Matters.
Headline Sponsor
Prize Sponsor
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