A conference of ideas really worth spreading
ACONFERENCE for youngsters covering technology, entertainment and design will be hosted at a Macclesfield school.
Fallibroome Academy, on Priory Lane, will hold its tenth TEDxYouth@ Manchester event on Wednesday, November 7.
It is a junior version of the well-known TED conferences organised by the movement’s founder Chris Anderson.
Peter Rubery, principal at Fallibroome, attended one such conference in California and met Mr Anderson – so was inspired to host a similar event for pupils.
It has now been a fixture on the school’s annual calendar since 2009.
Mr Rubery said: “TED were looking to extend their mission of ‘ideas worth spreading’ to a youth audience and created the opportunity for local groups to win a license to organise independent or ‘x’ conferences. It was a privilege to be asked to organise the world’s first TEDxYouth conference and we have since created a remarkable archive of inspirational talks and performances.
“This year’s programme is our best yet with guest and student speakers exploring the theme of potential. The conference will be presented to an audience of sixth form students from schools in Cheshire East and Manchester and live streamed to the world via the school’s website.”
Speakers will include Professor Danielle George, who has featured on the BBC’s Horizon series and magician psychologist Oliver Meech.
Also giving talks are Emma Rosen, who successfully challenged herself to undertake 25 jobs before her 25th birthday, and Alex Beard, who travelled the world to compare how different education systems prepared young people for the future. The TED conference has taken off around the world since the first incarnation was posted online and TEDx format has been widely repeated.