The Catalyst Club is a unique monthly Brighton event that pays tribute to the old traditions of French Salon, debating societies and Gentleman's Clubs.


On the night three guest speakers take to the lectern to talk for fifteen minutes on a subject close to their heart.


Some of these previous lecture titles will give you a flavour of the evening:

Bees - Emergence Theory - Hitler's Moustache - Victorian Lantern Shows - Cunnillingus - The Exciting World of Slime Mould - Giant Squid - The Dawn of Civilisation.

Next Catalyst October 8th with three brand new speakers!

September 14th, 2009

The Catalyst breaks for summer and returns Sept 10th

July 11th, 2009

We’re off on our annual holidays to Skegness with the folks but will return in September!

Catalyst Club 5th birthday party celebration Thurs 9th July

June 30th, 2009

Come celebrate our 5th birthday with a unique audio-visual feast from the Catalyst’s own Tim and Sue (they met doing a talk together), the return of Dr Dan, lots of prizes, feisty debates guaranteed, more Davuis and the usual gubbins brought to you by your genial host, Dr Bramwell.

Next Catalyst Club Thursday June 11th!

June 2nd, 2009

With the festival over there may be no more secret bookcases, illicit smoking or insect obsessives but we can promise an honest-to-goodness regular Catalyst night with three cracking speakers, debate, booze-a-plenty and a spot of moshing at the end…

Ammendments to Festival dates! Now 7th and 24th May, 8pm

April 10th, 2009

There will be two Catalyst Club nights running this festival for your entertainment and delight:

Thursday May 7th: Pestival! An evening of insect themed talks curated by Pestival organisers Bridget Nichols and Mark Pilkington (former Fortean Times editor and Guardian’s Weird Science columnist) and also starring Jerry ‘moths and the Nazis’ Rolfe. Latest Music Bar 8pm kick off

Sunday May 24th: the Best of the Catalyst A one-hour special in the Speakeasy-style Blind Tiger Club, 50 Providence Place, with talks and performances from Catalyst favourites, Queen of Casio Lorraine Bowen, ‘The Aren’t Birds Brilliant RSPB officer Dan Parkinson, Dr David Bramwell and Pete ‘things found in books’ Fijalkowski 8pm kick off, £5 on the door.

note: Be ready to squeeze through a bookcase to get in. These guys have created a genuine Speakeasy venue!!

Hells Bells for April 9th

March 16th, 2009

After much debate and encouragement from Catalyst regulars, I have decided to introduce a bell system to help keep the talks short and sweet. After 13 minutes a bell will ring to remind the speaker their time is nearly up. The bell will ring again two minutes later. If they continue after the second bell I will then be forced to release the tiger.

Your thoughts on this would be appreciated; in the meantime I’ll be giving it a trial run for the next Catalyst Club on April 9th, featuring Toby Amies, Brian Mitchell and Katie Schutte!

March 12th normality returns to the mighty Catalyst Club!

March 6th, 2009

A talk from man-about-town Toby Amies!

Return of the legendary Ross ‘Pierrepoint’ Gurney Randall.

The lovely Suzanne with the strangest quiz you’ll ever experience!

Body parts for prizes.

No really!

The latest 78s spun by the Wind-up Brothers

And the usual debate, flirting, crafty fags and Dr Bramwell mumbling at the lectern…

4th anniversary of Brighton Science Festival and Catalyst Club collaboration Feb 25th and 26th 2009

February 23rd, 2009

THE CATALYST CLUB AND BRIGHTON SCIENCE FESTIVAL
Wednesday 25th Feb, Thursday 26th Feb 2009, 7.30pm start, £5
TALKS! DEBATES! DEMONSTRATIONS!! CORDURY GALORE!!! FREE EQUATIONS!!!
Wednesday Feb 25th Murphy – The First Sixty Years
Richard Robinson, Rob Eastaway and psychologist Julie Coultas!
Thursday Feb 26th Evolution!!
Chris Stringer of the Natural History museum, Dan Jones and James ‘The Old Thunderer’ Williams..

Catalyst Club 2009

December 16th, 2008

Coming up for 2009…

Catalyst Club returns on January 8th with three brand-new speakers

Rare screening of Ken Campbell documentary (2006) February 12th

Science Festival Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th February

Come to the very last Catalyst Club of 2008

December 6th, 2008

Catalystmas!

Thursday December 11th

Doors 8pm £5/4 entry

A christmassy special with three brand new guest speakers!

  • Live music from the brilliant Foster and Gilvan!
  • Catalyst highlights of 2009 re-lived!
  • Rotten prizes!

… and of course lively debate, flirting, excessive drinking and the unveiling of Dr Bramwell’s new beard!