The Debugging Séance was a creative and immersive coding event that reimagined debugging as a collaborative and engaging experience rather than a solitary task. Set in a low-light, high-energy “Magic Shop” environment, participants explored the “Code Graveyard”, a curated collection of real-world buggy code snippets. The session progressed from identifying simple syntax errors to resolving complex logical and architectural flaws, culminating in a collective “Grand Exorcism” of a multi-layered system bug through teamwork and shared problem-solving.

The event successfully reframed debugging as a shared learning journey that bridges academic knowledge with real-world software development challenges. By encouraging peer-to-peer discussions, normalising failure, and celebrating problem-solving breakthroughs, the séance fostered a growth mindset and reduced coding anxiety. Participants left with improved debugging confidence, stronger technical communication skills, and a deeper appreciation for persistence, collaboration, and curiosity as essential qualities of successful engineers.