First TEDx Conference in midlands is this weekend

Longford is to host the midlands’ first TEDx Conference on Friday June 29 at the Backstage Theatre. 

The internationally renowned TED conferences are devoted to spreading ideas in the form of short, powerful, inspirational talks. Past TED events have hosted world leaders and leading thinkers such as Bill Clinton and Stephen Hawking, and TED Talks such as Ken Robinson’s ‘Do schools kill creativity?’ have been viewed more than 50 million times online.

TEDx events are independently run and designed to share ideas and spark conversation in local communities. 
The theme for TEDx Longford is ‘Change Makers’, and there are six guest speakers from Ireland and USA. 
TEDxLongford is the brainchild of local teacher and filmmaker Shane Crossan, well known through his many years of work with Longford youth groups such as School of Rock. 

He explains the importance of starting a conversation around the legacy we leave our children: “The time has come for us to start imagining a better way of living… The purpose of TEDx Longford is to bring together speakers from a wide range of backgrounds, who together will give us some ideas on how we can create a better world for ourselves and our children.”

Six national and international speakers will present their ideas on a wide variety of topics.

The line-up includes award-winning journalist Gemma O’Doherty, US activist Chas Jewett, founder of FEASTA and Sustainable Projects Ireland Davie Philip, businessman and competition advocate Seamus Maye, ICSA president Patrick Kent, and local educator and environmentalist Anna Kavanagh. 

There are limited tickets for the event, at €12 per person. It takes place on Friday 29 June at 7.30pm. For more details, follow TEDxLongford on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDxLongford, or on Facebook at facebook.com/TEDxLongford.