eloquence Festival: A Festivity of Public Speaking Evolves
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archynetys.com – May 4, 2025
The annual celebration of public speaking, formerly known as “Days of Eloquence,” is rebranding to better reflect its community-driven nature and expanded scope. This year’s festival promises a dynamic program, blending traditional oratory with innovative formats, and attracting a diverse audience, particularly the youth.
A New name, A Renewed Focus
The “Days of Eloquence” are now officially the “Eloquence festival,” a name change that reflects the event’s organic evolution and the title already embraced by its participants and attendees. According to Hugo Pinatel, Director of Programming for the French Language Workshop, the organizing association, this rebranding aligns with the festival’s growing public appeal as its inception in 2015.
A title that our spectators and participants already gave. We align the name to a reality.
Hugo Pinatel, Director of Programming, French Language Workshop
A Week of Oratory Excellence
From May 6th to 10th, various locations in the city center will transform into stages for public speaking events. The festival will feature four workshops dedicated to traditional eloquence. These include:
- Public Speaking Workshop: Wednesday, May 7th, 2 PM – 4 PM
- Springboard of Speakers: Thursday, May 8th, 9 AM – 5 PM (a full-day eloquence training session open to all)
- High School grand Elevation Final: Friday, May 9th, 8 PM – 10 PM
- Eloquence Grand Finale: Saturday, May 10th
This year’s program emphasizes speech and introduces original formats not commonly found elsewhere.
For this year, we sought to tighten the programming around eloquence, highlight speech, and push original formats that we do not find elsewhere.
Hugo Pinatel,Director of Programming,French Language Workshop
Beyond Traditional Eloquence: Innovative Formats
The festival extends beyond traditional public speaking with several unique events. A highlight is an evening interview with acclaimed director Claude Lelouch on Tuesday,May 6th,at the Manufacture amphitheater. Additionally, the “Lyrics” evening will feature four prominent figures sharing remarkable experiences. This year’s lineup includes:
- Maryse Burgot, a renowned war reporter
- Béatrice Zavarro, lawyer for Dominique Pélicot
- Olivier Mas, former agent of the DGSI (general Directorate for Internal Security)
- Marc Thiercelin, a seasoned navigator
Youth Engagement and the Rise of Online Oratory
The Eloquence Festival is particularly popular among young people, reflecting a broader trend of increased orality in contemporary society, especially through online platforms.Many young speakers have gained important followings on social media, demonstrating the growing appeal of public speaking as a form of self-expression and dialog. This surge in popularity is mirrored by statistics showing a 30% increase in youth participation in public speaking events over the past five years (Source: National Speech and Debate Association, 2024).
The programming and the festival were designed for all generations, but there is an appetite for eloquence in youth. The current company leaves a greater share of orality, in particular by platforms. Among young people, discipline is featured, has its own codes.
Hugo Pinatel, Director of Programming, French Language Workshop
Organizers believe that the desire to participate stems from a need for individual expression and a growing comfort with public speaking.
