Canberra gets inspired with TEDx

On 7 September, TEDx, an independently organised TED event, came to Canberra for the fourth year running!

Each year the volunteer run event brings together great minds, new ideas and innovators, to share their ‘ideas worth spreading’. This year’s event was themed ‘Then. Now. Next’ and, in recognition of our Centenary, aimed to explore the significant developments of our city over the past 100 years and apply that knowledge to better understand what’s ahead.

As with previous years, TEDx Canberra 2013  was a sold out event, with approximately 600 young (and young at heart!) Canberrans filling the Canberra Theatre to capacity. On the day the eclectic range of presenters, ranging from poets, social workers and even a technophile, through to musicians and a circus troupe alternated between entertaining and honing the social conscience.

Toby Wild, a ‘full stack developer’ enthused over the potential of the latest Samsung Smartphone, made the observation that the Smartphone’s processing power was an order of magnitude greater than the computer power used on the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Two of the speakers were downright inspirational – Tony Langer, a Detective Sergeant with the West Australian Police, described the millions of tonnes of high explosives left over from the Vietnam war that are still killing thousands of people in Indochina every year. In his holidays, and at his own expense, he travels to Cambodia to risk his life discovering and neutralising land mines. Jeannette Purkis is a successful artist, author and public servant and described how she overcame the twin obstacles of Asperger Syndrome and a mental health affliction to live a normal life. She appealed to the audience to respect diversity and accept people for who they are. Her message obviously hit a resonant chord as her conclusion was greeted by enthusiastic applause, whistles and cheers.

On a lighter note, the Poncho Circus, a group of young emerging artists coming out of the Warehouse Circus in Canberra, delighted the audience with amazing feats of human strength and agility, stunning choreography and innovative new ideas on traditional circus routines. Raus, aka Rory Stenning, also put forth his own unique brand of ‘experimental pop’ music with his computer augmented singing supported by electronic music.

In the breaks Anna Pino, Chief Executive Officer, Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre  fielded enquiries from a steady stream of participants. Perhaps we might see some start-ups resulting in the future!

Want to learn more about the presenters? You can read their bios and get their Twitter and website details here .

Looking for inspiration? You can view previous TEDx talks on the TEDx Canberra  and the TEDx YouTube Channels. Keep an eye out for this year’s talks to be added!