Cornwall will play host to its first TEDx event later this year.
Inspired by the TED conference, which grew up in America, the event will be held at Truro’s Burrell Theatre, on Friday, September 9.
TED began life in the USA in 1984 and is devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks of 18 minutes or less.
Today TED covers almost all topics, from science to business to global issues, in more than 100 languages.
It has become a viral video phenomenon and global community, with millions of people around the world watching and sharing TED talks online.
Inspired by TED but organised independently, TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world. Successful events are held across the UK, with TEDxExeter and TEDxTotnes selling out in Devon for the last few years.
The inaugural TEDxTruro will have the theme ‘Time and Tide’ and will see “inspiring talks from speakers who have spent their lives creating change: some through researching and educating; others by facing and rising above adversity”.
TEDxTruro is an independent event, organised locally by a team of volunteers, but dedicated to TED’s aims of spreading ideas worth sharing.
Mandy Reynolds, TEDxTruro curator and licensee, explained: “TEDx events are now taking place around the world and we felt it was time to bring TEDx to Cornwall.
“TEDxTruro will give us a chance to promote Cornwall globally, as many of the talks at TEDx events are shared and viewed by hundreds of thousands of people through social media.
“Our theme ’Time and Tide’ reminds us of our mortality and the need to make the most of the time we have. I hope that great speakers from our local communities and further afield, will inspire people to make a positive change.
“Our team of volunteers are working hard to ensure that Cornwall’s first TEDx event is a memorable one.”
