TED talks, known for their ability to motivate, inspire and change the way people think about everything and anything across a global audience, is coming to Bristol in the form of independent TED event TEDxBristol this November.
The event, which will be held at Colston Hall, is set on the theme ‘Dare to Disrupt’ with speakers heading to Bristol from across the South West to share their stories and ideas with an audience of hundreds.
“These are Bristol’s boldest disruptors!”
Following many successful events in Bristol, TEDxBristol is now such a success that this year it’s due to be held over 2 days instead of 1 and is now one of the largest TEDx events in the UK – selling out year on year.
And it’s no surprise given what’s on offer with the beginnings of the event lineup looking particularly impressive. Speakers already include Mena Fombo (pictured right) – one of Bristol’s biggest influencers and ‘doers’ on issues of equality, representation and education and Kalpna Woolf (pictured left) who’s groundbreaking initiative ‘91 Ways to Build a Global City‘ brought the 91 language communities of Bristol together using food and their stories of culture.
TEDxBristol curator Mel Rodrigues says: “We now have over half of our line up decided and Bristol has really pulled out all the stops. With over 350 applications and counting, we’ve chosen 10 people who represent the positive, innovative and slightly rogue spirit of the city. These are Bristol’s boldest disruptors!”
Get involved
Of course, this is just the start and TEDxBristol is still looking for speakers to complete its lineup this November. Having already received an unprecedented interest in taking part, the team has now extended the application deadline for speakers to 25 August 2017.
With the event split into two days, the team has also introduced micro themes for each day meaning there will be even more opportunities for creative potential speakers to jump on board with their ideas.
On 2 November, speakers will share personal reflections themed around ‘Disruptive Bodies’ and ‘Disruptive Minds’. From physical bodies that don’t look or work the way they are supposed to, to new or controversial ways of thinking, dreaming and challenging.
On 3 November, speakers will share more public and collaborative stories about ‘Disruptive Innovation’ and ‘Disruptive Planet’. They will argue that some of the world’s biggest and most urgent challenges can only be tackled by collective action and disruption at scale.
So now it’s the South West’s innovative tech scene’s chance to get involved and inspire a crowd full of open minds. If you have an idea for either day, make sure to get your applications in sharpish.
TEDxBristol will be held in the Colson Hall on the 2-3 November 2017. Tickets cost £60 for one day or £99 to access the full 2 days of the event and are available on the Colston Hall website. To find out more about the event and speakers, you can head to the TEDxBristol website or follow them on Twitter here: @TEDxBristol.
