The largest annual politics festival in the UK – the Festival of Debate – takes place every Spring across South Yorkshire and has started this week, offering a host of debatable views by many guest speakers on different subjects.
Founded in 2015 by Opus Independents, it aims to increase public engagement with politics and encourage active citizenship. This year there will be more than 50 separate events.
Many of the events are free – with a ‘pay as you like’ policy from the non-profit organisers – and consist of a mixture of live and online events.
Among the guests this year are former leader of the Labour Party and founder of the Peace & Justice Project Jeremy Corbyn, author and environmentalist George Monbiot and writer and broadcaster Armando Iannucci.
There will also be discussions on recommendations from Sheffield’s Race Equality Commission – a free event taking place at the Millennium Gallery on Monday May 23 from 7.30-9pm and others on subjects such as ‘the transgender issue,’ creating an autism inclusive Sheffield and inequality after Covid.