by Richard Buckley, Editor, Business Eye

TEDxStormont is set to return to Parliament Buildings on 31st August with a stellar line up of 18 speakers from varied backgrounds such as journalism, music, business and the arts.   The daylong event, compered by Presenter and Broadcaster William Crawley, is expected to see 200 guests fill the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings with a larger than ever online following.


 

In a fitting tribute to murdered journalist and former TEDxStormont 2017 speaker, Lyra McKee, her sister Nichola Corner and friend Stephen Lusty will take to the red spot.

 

Since its inception, the TEDxStormont series of talks have been viewed over 5 million times with Lyra McKee’s talk on religious and social intolerance viewed almost 150,000 times alone.

 

Started as a four-day conference in California in 1984, TED and the TEDx programme has grown to support world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives such as TEDxStormont which has now run eight live events in the series.

 

The overall theme of TEDxStormont 2019 is “Imagine” – with speakers looking forward and imagining the kind of future we could have together as a society, here in Northern Ireland and beyond.

 

TEDxStormont 2019 speakers being announced today include:

 

Session 1:

  1. Laura Banks – Lawyer, Mum, Social Justice Advocate
  2. Connor Kerr – Creative Activist and Campaigner. Co-Founder Another World Belfast. 
  3. Duncan Morrow – Academic and Community Activist
  4. Orla McKeating – Entrepreneur, Podcaster, Collaborator
  5. Amanda Campbell – VP, Founder and Strategist
  6. Joe Nawaz – Thoughtful, reckless, contradictory

 

Session 2:

  1. Jess Dornan Lynas – Storyteller, Tech-Founder, Creative
  2. Stephen Lusty – Technologist, Entrepreneur, Samaritan
  3. Fergal McFerran – Activist, Uncle, Optimist
  4. Siobhan O’Neill – Scientist, Mental Health Advocate and Mother
  5. Nichola Corner – Spiritualist, Courageous and Loyal
  6. Alice McCullough – Writer, Performer, Artist

 

Session 3:

  1. Tim Brundle – Director of Research and Impact
  2. Una Jennings – Copper, mummy and multitasker
  3. Colin Davidson – Contemporary Artist
  4. Deepa Mann – Kler – Artist, Technologist and Author
  5. Saul Betmead – Creative strategist. Part-time behavioural scientist. Test & learner

 

Launching the speakers today, Eva Grosman, Curator of TEDxStormont 2019 said:

 

“TEDxStormont 2019 has really captured the imagination and we can certainly feel the excitement building ahead of the event at the end of August.” 

 

“The backdrop of the Great Hall in Parliament Buildings is apt after a long period of political paralysis. The speakers lined up will help us to imagine that a new way forward is possible.”

 

“This year, as part of the speaker event, we will be working with The Executive Office Urban Villages Initiative and running a ‘Talk like TED’ youth training programme. The young participants from five Urban Villages areas will take part in a series of workshops in the weeks leading into TEDxStormont at the end of August. One finalist will be selected to take to the stage at Stormont and deliver their TEDx talk.”

 

“This is a really exciting element and shows that this is not just a one-off event but acts as a catalyst for other projects and programmes that are community based and allows for young people with great ideas to have those ideas amplified to a huge audience.”

Advertisement

HOLD MPU 2

Receive Monthly Magazine

Choose Printed or Online Edition

Subscribe to Business Eye Magazine Subscribe Today