TEDxCapeTown is enabling free and live webstreaming of its full day event on Saturday in what it calls the “spirit of ideas worth spreading”. The event, to be held at The Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch, will comprise 20 varied and uniquely curated speakers, each of whom will take to the stage to share a beautiful ‘idea worth spreading’ in eight to 18 minutes.
The public can host their own viewing parties on the day too; all that is needed is a good internet connection and a TV screen or projector to display it on. TEDx Talks have been streamed into homes, community halls, libraries, and offices.
Most people have watched a TED Talk, whether Malcolm Gladwell, Richard Branson or Elizabeth Gilbert, many such great names have graced a TED stage. It was in 2009 that TED decided to license the brand for use around the world. And so TEDx was born, where x stands for independently organised TED event.
The 2013 event, ‘Amazing People, Crazy Places’, provides a platform for inspired people who have done great things, big or small, to share their journeys, learnings and successes in a meaningful and empowering way. All the TEDx Talks will be recorded and available to watch online after the event. TEDxCapeTown attracts a variety of change makers, action takers, doers and game changers from various industries. TEDxCapeTown deliberately curates a selection of speakers across the spectrums of technology, entertainment, design, social innovation, food, media, adventure and more.
The 2013 speakers include Nic Haralambous, Karen Dudley, Shabashni Moodley, Angela Horn, Davey du Plessis, Riaan Conradie, Adrian Saville, Gavin Bonner, John McInroy, Jasper Horrell and more.
TEDxCapeTown has been running for three years since the first event on 16 April 2011, which the founding team created to coincide with World Water Day, as it was also being hosted and celebrated in Cape Town. “TEDx is a neutral platform where we imagined we could talk about water in a sexy way that would attract a diverse audience,” says Bernelle Verster, 2011 co-founder and one of the main organisers of the 2013
The event and all TEDxCapeTown activations are curated and delivered by a group of dedicated and committed volunteers who are professionals in their respective industries. The team behind TEDxCapeTown are enthusiastic, ‘disruptive’ big-thinking individuals who strive to leverage opportunities, inspire connection and create change in the world.
From well-known brands Woolworths and Tsogo Sun, to UCT who provide bandwidth for the event alongside many other technical partners who are pivotal in the filming, production and editing, each partner contributes to the magic so that TEDx Talks are captured and shared online for prosperity and idea eternity.
“Through the ideas shared on the TEDxCapeTown stage, we hope that sparks may be ignited, ideas catalysed and that the snowball of citizen-driven change continues to gather momentum,” says Sue Northam, the communications lead on the team. She adds, “It is also part of the vision that everyone realises that they too can get involved or even host, create and curate a TEDx event inspired by ideas worth spreading.”
Despite tickets being sold out to the TEDxCapeTown event at the Baxter Theatre on 20 July, there are still tickets available at R150 for those in Johannesburg to attend the official TEDxCapeTown simulcast in Braamfontein. This official ‘viewing party’ has been collaboratively created by TEDxCapeTown and TEDxBraamfontein and will be hosted at Thoughtworks. There will also be a live simulcast in Zimbabwe, hosted by TEDxHarare, which demonstrates the power of ideas to connect and inspire collaboration.
There are over 60 TEDxCapeTown Talks online already, telling local stories of inspiring people and wonderful ideas. So get involved, watch some local TEDx videos and join the conversation on www.tedxcapetown.org, Facebook/tedxcapetown and Twitter .
Host your own viewing party: https://www.tedxcapetown.org/tedxcapetown-2013-viewing-party
Official simulcast in Joburg: https://www.tedxcapetown.org/official-jhb-simulcast
Livestreaming on the day: www.tedxcapetown.org
