TEDxDurham is proud to announce its first independent event, created in the spirit of the cultural phenomenon and national nonprofit, TED. The inaugural event, which will take place on Saturday, July 9, at The Carolina Theatre of Durham, will bring together a community of artists and academics, professionals and activists, as well as natives and newcomers for a day filled with brilliant speakers, thought-provoking video and mind-blowing conversation. Tickets for this inclusive, one-of-a-kind event start at $30 and are on sale now at http://www.carolinatheatre.
The event’s theme will be Centers and Edges. It is defined by the idea that without our centers, which are people’s people’s passions, projects and communities, life is meaningless; but without our edges, which are sometimes discomforting, but always warrant growth, life is boring.
“The energy at TEDx events is electric. It’s amazing to find people in the community that are optimistic, problem solving and downright doing amazing work,” said Jack Derbyshire, TEDxDurham curator. “We want the theme of the event, Centers and Edges, to challenge the audience to think about the community and what’s going on in not only Durham, but North Carolina as well. It’ll be different that other TEDx events because it’ll focus on how perceptions vary across the board on who we are, where we live and where we’re going. These presentations are going to blow people away!”
The more than 20 local TEDxDurham presenters will surprise, compel and inspire the audience. They include:
Clara Johnson, self-trained, international artist: defying expectations of the art world – what is considered ethnic art?
Dasan Ahanu, of Bull City Slam Team, National Poetry Slam contender, President of the Black Jedi Chapter of the Universal Zulu Nation: Brown Bag Daddy – will discuss the power, beauty and resilience that can come from voices and art from the “edges.”
Flavio Frohlich, assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Will explore the language of the brain and how we can communicate through this.
Jess Jur, NC State textiles professor and researcher: will dive into what’s next for wearable electronics or “Smart Clothes.”
Katja Hill, coordinator for arts integration at Duke Hospital: a talk on choosing what’s important, knowing life is short.
Mailande Moran, extraordinary networker, artist, and renaissance woman – our very own artist in residence for TEDxDurham 2016.
Omid Safi, Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University and Director of the Duke Islamic Studies Center: Fifteen years after the 9/11, the American Muslim community and the American democratic experiment both find themselves in a perilous state. Where do we go from here in this age of fear and fear-mongering?
Nancy “Mama Nia” Wilson, Executive Director of Durham's own Spirit House: Speaks of a world where everybody is safe and no one is thrown away and justice is community-driven.
Bill Ferris, professor of folklore at UNC Chapel Hill: From artifacts in history, Bill will explain how memory and space define the American South.
Negar Mottahedah, author and professor at Duke University
Lisa Sorg, Bull City Rising Contributor and Durham journalist: “Friction Points” in a Neighborhood
Donovan Zimmerman, Paperhand Puppets
Alexis Pauline Gumbs, author of Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines
Nirmish Shah, Professor of Medicine at Duke University, pediatrician.
Fred Tyson, NIEHS, Scientific Program Director and Algal Bloom Expert
Zach Ward of DSI Comedy Theatre in Chapel Hill
William Darity
David Reese
Mark Anthony Neal
Jason Parker
Tarish Pipkins
Jonathan Mattingly
The TED organization is devoted to spreading ideas in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). It began in 1984 as a place where technology, entertainment and design converged, and has since grown to cover almost all topics — from science to business to global issues. Presenters are not limited to speakers, but also performers, artists and other blends of entertainment and great minds that will create an unforgettable event. TEDx events are independently organized around the country to unleash fresh ideas from local communities. Close to 50,000 talks have been given at 10,000 events since the TEDx program launched in 2009.
Community members can stay up to date and join in the conversation at http://tedxdurham.org/,facebook.com/TEDxDurhamNC and twitter.com/TEDxDurhamNC.
About TEDx
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDxRaleigh is an example of an independently organized event. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event.
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Starting as a four-day conference in California almost 30 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes on a diverse mix of topics. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Follow TED at http://twitter.com/TEDNews or http://www.facebook.com/TED. For information about TED’s upcoming conferences, visit http://www.ted.com/
