TEDxYouth@Bath is back this November and set to inspire, fuel and challenge the minds of young people from across the South West.
With an independently organised day of spectacular talks scheduled and licensed by world-renowned talks organisers TED, there won’t be a shortage of its famous motto – ‘ideas worth spreading’.
“We stage TEDxYouth@Bath to expose young people to speakers whose own lives can inspire them”
Featuring 23 speakers in the extraordinary line-up already – with some hailing from Bath itself, and others who are being flown in from halfway across the world to get involved – talking on everything from medical engineering to restorative justice, there really is something to get any brain ticking.
Check out this summary from previous TEDxYouth@Bath events to get a flavour of what the day will hold:
Charlotte Calkin, Co-organiser of TEDxYouth@Bath tells us: “We stage TEDxYouth@Bath to expose young people to speakers whose own lives can inspire them, to make them realise that they can make a difference.
“This comes at a time when they need to make some big decisions about their futures, so local schools and colleges love the event and have pre-booked all 900 places for year 12 and 13 pupils. We also have some tickets to sell to an adult audience for £22 each. We think 23 speakers for only £22 is amazing value.”
TED Tech
Of the 23 speakers, two stand with some innovative and inspiring tech and innovation. Ronan Finnegan (pictured left) who, at just age 19, founded his own company – OrDonate – and is creating charitable iPhone apps that help its users incorporate donating into their daily lives.
Not only was he shortlisted for the SPARKies 2016 FutureSPARK award, but he won TalkTalk’s fundraising digital hero award and was even a topic of conversation around a BBC Come Dine With Me table.
“I am looking forward specifically to seeing if we can change mindsets”
Joining Ronan in showcasing local innovation will be Jess Ridgers, a researcher at Bath-based Designability – a charity that specialises in researching and developing assistive technologies to help transform the lives of those with disabilities. She’s currently working on a device to prompt those suffering from dementia, to help them carry out everyday tasks and routines.
As well as local talent, TEDxYouth@Bath has attracted the likes of BBC reporter Frank Gardner, who survived a terrorist ambush whilst filming in Saudi Arabia, as well as Aimee Ansari who’s bringing stories from the worldwide humanitarian disasters she has worked on – flying in just a day before the event from a refugee camp in Greece.
Charlotte also tells us how she hopes the event will challenge early perceptions and judgements with a speaker who committed manslaughter and spent 30 months behind bars. She explains: “I am looking forward specifically to seeing if we can change mindsets. It will be interesting to see how the audience reacts to a young man who has committed manslaughter and how they feel before and after his talk.”
Speak at TEDxYouth@Bath
The line-up is not complete just yet, though – Charlotte tells us about a competition being run that invites any aged 16 – 19 to apply for their very own speaker position.
“If someone [under 19] feels strongly enough about an issue or idea… we will consider them for a place in the programme”
She adds: “The idea of speaking for five minutes in front of an audience like ours can be a bit daunting, but if someone in this age group feels strongly enough about an issue or idea to send us a short (2 min) film of them talking about it, we will consider them for a place in the programme.
“If they’re chosen we will work with them to make sure it’s the best five-minute TEDx talk they can give. And it will live on through the TED website and be watched over and over again. Imagine that on your CV!”
So if you’re under 19 and want to share your passion with hundreds of other young people, enter the TEDxYouth@Bath competition to become a speaker before the entry deadline on 20 October.
TEDxYouth@Bath will be held on 17 November at 9.30am til 4.30pm at The Forum in Bath. Tickets cost £22 for adults and £8.80 for students. To find out more about the event and its speakers, take a look at the TEDxYouth@Bath website. You can also follow them on Twitter: @TEDxYouthBath.
If you can’t make it, don’t panic – TEDxYouth@Bath will also be streamed live on the website so anyone can virtually attend, wherever they are.
