Swindon will host its first-ever TEDx event this summer, with organisers promising a full day of talks aimed at putting the town firmly into national conversations around culture, creativity and change.
TEDx Railway Village will take place on 19 June at Town Hall Studios, bringing together a mix of internationally recognised speakers, academics, campaigners and local figures under the theme “Lines of Connection”.
Set in the heart of Swindon’s historic Railway Village, the independently organised event arrives as the town continues to push for greater cultural recognition, including ambitions linked to future UK City of Culture bids.
Licensed by the global TED organisation, TEDx events are locally organised programmes built around the idea of sharing new thinking and challenging perspectives. Organisers say the Swindon edition will explore how communities, technology, leadership, science and the arts overlap in modern life.
Among the speakers announced are author and advocate Amanda Klapish, theatre director and acting expert Andrei Malaev-Babel, Festival of Tomorrow founder Dr Roderick Hebden, Swindon philanthropist James Phipps and musician Soumik Datta.
Other talks will cover subjects ranging from heritage and misinformation to leadership, relationships and social change.
The event is being led by founding licensee Robert Jandy and co-founder Debbie Bryan through Lines of Connection CIC, with the aim of establishing a long-term platform for ideas emerging from Swindon itself.
In a joint statement, the pair said the event reflects “a depth of thinking, creativity and leadership” already present across the town.
“Bringing TEDx to Swindon for the first time reflects something that has been building for a while,” they said.
“There is a depth of thinking, creativity and leadership here that deserves a wider platform. This event creates space for those ideas to be shared, challenged and developed, while connecting Swindon into a much broader conversation.”
Tickets for TEDx Railway Village are now on sale through Eventbrite, with both individual and corporate packages available.
Ticket purchase link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tedx-railway-village-swindon-tickets-1989739287772
