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Photo credits: Karla Gowlett & TEDxLondon, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Words by Maxine Thomas-Asante
"TEDxLondon was full of inspiring speakers and insightful moments. I loved that the event covered such a wide range of topics, which meant you were continually finding out something new. It was funny, moving, and motivating. I feel lucky to have been there in person to experience it all." - Rob Alleyne
On a rainy overcast Sunday morning, even the clouds could not obstruct the excitement in the air. After over a year of work, it was time for the TEDxLondon Festival of Ideas.
The Festival of Ideas was an opportunity for TEDxLondon, Comic Relief, Unbound Philanthropy, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to collaborate on a public facing activation to highlight the power of storytelling for social justice.
Over 1000 attendees gathered to hear a range of incredible TEDx talks, and to attend the practitioner focused Storytelling Track. The speakers built, one after another, curating a wave of gripping and compassionate provocations.
The day opened up with a beautiful performance by the Hackney Empire Creative Futures programme, who offered a youthful spoken word performance about the importance of justice in our world. From here, the first half of the TEDxLondon talks began.
André Anderson spoke on the power of aspirational play, not only to “connect with a part of the self, but a future space”. Ben Williams shared his work on the potential of AI to conserve and rewild coral reefs asking “what else can we do with AI in the fight to save the natural world.” Nathalie McDermott CEO of Power of Pop funded partner organisation Heard, shared her expertise in “shifting from leading with pain to leading with universal interest”.
John Travulva/Jodie Mitchell viscerally demonstrated the ways that gender stereotyping and accents can influence the ways we are read and received. The first half drew to a close with a buzz in the air and passionate reflections shared urgently between attendees.
“The… event… was a truly inspiring experience that left a lasting impact on me. The range of topics and the depth of insights shared by the speakers challenged me to think differently and inspired a collective sense of responsibility to create a more inclusive and equitable society. It has also pushed me to reflect on my own perspectives and inspired me to think about how I can contribute to fostering understanding, empathy, and make changes in my own community.” - Anmol Thapa
As we moved into the second half of the event, the richness of the talks continued. Comedians Nish Kumar and Alaa Shehada shared the importance of humour in social justice work, particularly with challenging topics.
Adam Kucharski reminded us of the important relationship between evidence and trust. Jolyon Maugham KC spoke about the discrete impact of dark money, sharing that “for democracy to flourish, we must care more about the truth than we do about toasters. ”, a reminder for us to prioritise values over commercial interests.
Tinuke Awe and Clotilde Abe shared their experience developing the incredible Five X More campaign, and seeing tangible improvements in maternal mortality rates for Black women in the UK.
Sophie Morgan shared her incredible work advocating for wheelchair inclusive access to air travel, sharing the incredible breakthroughs developing a seat ready to be taken up by airlines. Lastly, Kiana Hayeri shared her work documenting the lives and resilience of women and girls in Kabul.
"Beyond inspiring, a mobilising powerhouse! TEDxLondon successfully hosted powerful speakers and artists who harnessed a variety of media (music, comedy, AI, photography, television, etc…) to bring us with them toward action and social change in this world. An inspiring show-like event centring a common goal: social change! It was exhilarating!" - Sam Valery
In the brief breaks from the main programming, the Storytelling Track was a bespoke additional programme, tailored towards practitioners in the pop culture for social justice and narrative shift space.
The Storytelling Track offered panel discussions, roundtables and networking spaces allowing participants to not only learn from some incredible speakers but also have their say.
“How can we tell authentic stories? How can AI be used for good? How can we make the NHS and travel safe, equitable and accessible to everyone? These were just some of the thought provoking and engaging talks at TED London. I've left not only better informed and knowledgeable, but inspired to contribute to a more just, equitable and safe world.” - Jeremy Yung
The Power of Pop had the opportunity to feed in suggestions for themes and potential speakers though all the authority for curation sat squarely with the experienced TEDxLondon Team. TEDxLondon worked with the speakers over a span of months, to explore the best ways to communicate their message, and capture a lifetime of knowledge into a modest 15 minutes.
It was a joy to collaborate with the TEDxLondon Team, among a host of incredible funders: Comic Relief, Unbound Philanthropy, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to contribute to this fantastic event. On the day itself, we were pleased to be joined by funded partners, co-funder organisations, practitioners in the field, Comic Relief staff and a trustee.
“The TEDx London event was an unforgettable experience - rich, thought-provoking, and deeply moving. The speakers captivated me with their powerful insights, making me laugh, reflect, and even shed a tear. They tackled some of the most pressing issues of our time with passion and authenticity. I left feeling inspired, energized, and eager for more!” - Ayesha Farah
