The fifth event of its kind in the town will see 12 guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds deliver a thought provoking talk.
Organiser Lizzie Bentley-Bowers said: “Since TEDx first came to Tunbridge Wells in 2015, we’ve had to upgrade venues three times to accommodate the growing attendance.
“There’s clearly a hunger and curiosity for knowledge in Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding area.”
TED [technology, entertainment, design] has provided conferences around the world since being launched in 1984 under the motto ‘ideas worth spreading’. Their headquarters are in New York and Vancouver.
Many talks are filmed, which has seen the movement’s popularity spiral in recent years, thanks to the easy accessibility of YouTube.
This has seen the launch of TEDx, which are independent TED-style events, which can be organised by anyone who obtains a free licence. All events are non-profit and speakers are not paid.
Last year’s event in Tunbridge Wells was attended by 750.
The line-up
Six of the 12 speakers on the line-up have already been announced. These are:
- Max Thorpe and Chris Williams: Former students of The Judd School in Tonbridge who suffered a near death experience rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
- Michelle Raymond: Successful entrepreneur who suffered abuse from her community while she was married to a man who was accused of heinous crimes.
- Sarah Salway: Writer and poet, whose novels have been translated into several languages.
- Don Smith: Former creative director in advertising, marketing and digital design who became an inventor in 2016.
- John Mulford: Year 11 student at The Judd School who has a passion for inspiring young people to get outside and active.
- Sophie Sabbage: Has written a books about her time living with cancer.
