ABOUT FORUM
The FORUM format was about linking the debate across disciplines among invited speakers, facilitated by a moderator, followed by a moderated Q&A and open discussion with the audience. The debaters were chosen based on their unique expertise relevant to the topic and the specific questions proposed for each session. They came from different domains and disciplines, promoting invigorating and fruitful discussions that maximised insight from multiple perspectives on the issues being explored.
FORUM WAS AN OPEN PLATFORM
Beyond the debating sessions, FORUM invited people to propose debate topics, speakers and moderators. As an organisation, FORUM supported the coordination of debate events, leveraging its specialist FORUM:CONNECT and participation network.
SUBJECT AREAS
FORUM explored intersectional aspects across seven thematic areas: Activism, Citizenship, Climate, Health, Human Rights, Scholarship, and Technology. These themes served as umbrella terms, with further definitions available in the GLOSSARY, reflecting FORUM’s guiding preoccupations at the time.
EVENTS
FORUM hosted five live debates in 2024, including a successful contribution to Berlin Science Week. These events gathered diverse audiences and received strong engagement, affirming the value of live, moderated debate across domains.
LIVE EVENTS GOING FORWARD
Hosting such events as a small, independent operation proved both rewarding but also immensely challenging, particularly in terms of the time, coordination and resources required to produce high-quality live debates. As a result, the decision was to cease FORUM and the live events and Deborah decided shift the format to a podcast series, enabling continued exploration of critical topics in a more sustainable and accessible way. While live events may return in the future, FORUM now continues as linking:debate in podcast form.
FORUM was initiated and orchestrated by Deborah & Vanessa.
‘WHAT IS OUT OF DOORS’?
The etymology of FORUM stands for ‘what is out of doors’. It was conceived as a public space where people gathered for discussions and socialising — a hub for community engagement and democratic discourse.