Final countdown to TEDxExeter 2019: The Art of the Possible

Thousands of people are set to gather across Devon and around the world as TEDxExeter returns this week.

The South West’s leading ideas festival, now in its eighth year, brings together an exciting mix of local and internationally renowned speakers to explore topics ranging from social mobility to fashion and artificial intelligence to the future of the planet.

The event will take place on Friday, April 5, at Exeter’s Northcott Theatre, and will be simultaneously livestreamed to an audience in the University of Exeter’s Alumni Auditorium.

Both venues sold out within minutes but there are still plenty of opportunities to watch the event by hosting your own livestream party or joining one of the free public showings taking place at Exeter Library, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, The Oddfellows Inn, Westbank in Exminster and the Budleigh Hub in Budleigh Salterton.

Talks from previous TEDxExeter events have been viewed over 21 million times by people around the world. Independently organised by local volunteers, TEDxExeter is part of a global community devoted to ideas worth spreading. Last year’s event was watched live online by people in 35 countries.

The theme of TEDxExeter 2019 is ‘The Art of the Possible’. Speakers and performers will include:

Ciara Eastell, chief executive of Devon-based charity Libraries Unlimited;

Jess Leigh, a member of Plan International UK’s youth advisory panel;

Apprentice Izzy Clarkson and Exeter College student Jess Pepperell, both local youth board members for the National Citizen Service;

Lee Elliott Major, Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter and until recently chief executive of the Sutton Trust;

Naimah Hassan, programme director of Global Media Campaign, which works to end FGM;

Beatboxer and electronic singer-songwriter SK Shlomo;

Steve Simpson, Associate Professor in Marine Biology and Global Change at the University of Exeter, whose work was featured on Blue Planet II and Blue Planet Live;

Thore Graepel, a research group lead at Google DeepMind and chair of machine learning at University College London;

Kat McHale, a public health doctor and mother-of-three, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2018;

June O’Sullivan, chief executive of London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) Nurseries and a regular commentator on early years, social business and child poverty;

Alex Kenmure, head of business development at GoodGym, a community of runners that combines getting fit with doing good;

Lucy Clayton, curator and co-host of the Dress: Fancy podcast;

Hannah Barham-Brown, a trainee GP, disability advocate and member of the British Medical Association Council;

Alexander Betts, Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs at the University of Oxford;

Chris Turner, consultant in emergency medicine at University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire;

Kate Salmon, a transatlantic rower and scientist at the Met Office, where she uses weather and climate data to help decision-makers plan for climate change;

Harry Baker and Chris Read, a World Poetry Slam champion and an internationally celebrated jazz musician who have sold out three runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Claire Kennedy, curator and licensee of TEDxExeter, said: “Our speakers are carefully selected to shed light on some of the burning issues facing all of us today. Over recent months they have been working hard to craft their thought provoking, funny and powerful talks.

“Every year we reach a growing number of people who are interested in new ideas about the world around us. Our audience love the opportunity to take time out from their busy lives to be entertained, challenged and inspired. I hope as many people as possible will get involved this year by attending livestream gatherings, following us on social media or watching online wherever they are.”

For full details of the speakers and how to host your own livestream event, visit TEDxExeter.com