TEDx Bath Echoes of the City
I was one of the lucky ones. I managed to click fast enough to get a ticket to TEDx Bath 2019. The theme was Echoes of the City.
For those not aware of the phenomenon that are TED talks, you can find out what TED is about here and what TEDx is about here.
It’s very rare for a TED talk not to trigger a thought, or inspire you to view something from a different perspective. And TEDx Bath didn’t disappoint
All ten (plus an unannounced piece from The Bard of Bath), offered thoughtful insights into various topics. Here are my highlights...
Doug Laughen opened the proceedings with a quick whizz through the little known contributions Bath has made to the wider world. Bath isn’t all Jane Austen and Georgian crescents. It is also about RIBA Stirling Prize winners, discoverers of planets and the inventor of Plasticine. This last one was particularly relevant to me. In the mid 90’s I used to rent a flat in his old home in Bathampton. My bedroom used to be his office and I used his old display cabinets as a wardrobe...
Larkall provided the most immersive experience. He is not only a talented pianist and composer, but he has also developed visuals which are created from algorithms from the music as he plays. He has just released an album and is playing St George’s in Bristol on 6th November. I’ve bought 4 tickets. 3 friends, who were enthralled by Max Copper, will hopefully be as equally enthralled by Larkhall.
The day ended on an inspirational note from James Shone, an ex-teacher who now runs ‘I Can & I Am’. This charity aims to inflate people’s ‘balloons of self belief.’ To very briefly summarise how this is done… it is encouraging people to feel as though they belong; that small steps are applauded; that everyone is good at something and discovering what is your passion.
One last thought from Jo Dolby, who delivers innovative community projects. When you first look at contributing to a community, don’t focus on what is wrong, but focus on what is strong... and build from there.
Wise words.
Another plus is meeting up with all sorts of interesting people who attend the event. All motivated, all buzzing with ideas and all ready to share their enthusiasms
Now the challenge is to take these Echoes From the City beyond the lucky hundred who attended one Saturday afternoon in September into the wider community.
More information on the speakers and the event can be found here.
