TEDxExeter reserves space for school groups

School groups are being offered concessionary tickets at Exeter’s popular festival of ideas for the first time in 2016.

The theme for next year’s event is Dreams to Reality.

The one-day conference which brings together speakers with “ideas worth sharing” has been running at Exeter Northcott Theatre since 2012.

This year it will have a simultaneous livestream to the nearby Alumni Auditorium, where some of the seats will be reserved for schools and colleges around Devon. Audiences from both venues will come together for breaks and lunch in the University’s Great Hall.

“This is an excellent opportunity for students to hear from people who are finding innovative ways to deal with many of the most challenging issues facing society today,” said Claire Kennedy, curator and licensee of TEDxExeter. “While TEDxExeter’s speakers are experts in their subjects, they are also excellent at making them accessible to a general audience. Audiences come away inspired, entertained, provoked and often moved to take action themselves.

“We know how much work teachers have to do, so are keen for parents to point out this opportunity to the relevant person at their children’s schools and colleges. This offer is limited, and tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so people need to act now if they want to secure tickets.”

Holly Moore discovered TEDxExeter on a school trip in 2012. She loved it so much, she and a friend bought their own tickets the following year. “The buzz of the day was outstanding,” she said in a blog on TEDxExeter’s website. “Excitement, insiration and ideas coloured every conversation after the talks.” Parents and students at St Peter’s School in Exeter watched the livestream last year.

“It made [students] think about what they take for granted,” said one teacher. “Students and parents I chatted with clearly really valued the opportunity,” said another. Read more feedback from livestream audiences here.

More information about the event and how schools can reserve seats is available from co-ordinator of educational experiences, Jackie Bagnall, jackie@tedxexeter.com.

Schools that don't manage to get tickets can organise their own livestream event. Last year the conference was streamed for the first time on the internet, and was watched by 1,500 people at viewing parties across Exeter. These included police leaders at Middlemoor and students at schools, Exeter College and the university. Groups also watched at the library, the City Council, St Loyes and the Met Office. Individuals from 38 countries including Iraq, Swaziland and Canada also tuned in. This year TEDxExeter aims to expand this audience too.

All the talks are filmed and made freely available on the internet. So far TEDxExeter speakers’ talks have been viewed more than 5 million times. Four of them have been featured on TED.com: Karima Bennoune sharing stories of real people fighting against fundamentalism in their own communities; Scilla Elworthy speaking on non violence; Bandi Mbubi calling for fair trade phones; and slam poet Harry Baker’s love poem for lonely prime numbers…

For more information visit www.tedxexeter.com