Simon Harmer

ABOUT SIMON:

Simon has Alpine skied, tandem parachuted, cycled across America, completed a half ironman, swum Lake Windermere and become an influencer in the growing open water winter swimming scene. He’s spoken to audiences across Europe with some of the biggest brands, including TEDx, Facebook, The Royal Ballet School, Northampton Saints Rugby Club to name but a few. He answered the call, and served his country when it need him.

All of this, despite experiencing life-changing injuries as a result of an operational incident that cut short his successful military career. He hasn’t just survived, but he’s thrived, continued to support his family and live his life as a ‘thank you’ to those who were there for him when the time came for him to need them.

Simon refuses to be defined by his injures. He works as a freelancer and as a consultant, leads an active lifestyle, and has found new ways of enjoying the things he did pre-injury. These experiences have given him the unique gift of absolute adaptability– a desired quality in a world of uncertainty and chaos.

Learn more about Simon on his website and connect with him on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Dr Julian Abel

ABOUT JULIAN:

Dr Julian Abel is joint author of the newly published book The Compassion Project, along with prize winning novelist Lindsay Clarke.

Since 2016 he has been working with Frome Medical Practice in Somerset in developing a new model of primary care combined with compassionate communities. The health outcomes of this model have been dramatic, improving the health of people of Frome at the same time as reducing population emergency admissions. Increasing compassion, love, laughter and friendship is the most effective way of leading a happy, healthy and long life. The outcomes from Frome have generated international interest. The story of Compassionate Frome and the implications of this approach became the subject matter for The Compassion Project.

He became a consultant in palliative care 2001, becoming increasingly involved in finding ways of building compassionate communities around people at end of life. He has run projects at local, regional and national levels. He is an international keynote speaker on public health palliative care. He has published regularly on models of public health palliative care. Dr Abel and Professor Allan Kellehear are the editors for the forthcoming publication The Oxford Textbook of Public Health Palliative Care.

Learn more about Dr Julian Abel on his website and connect with him on Twitter

DARRYL EDWARDS

ABOUT DARRYL:

Darryl Edwards is a former investment banking technologist turned movement coach and author. He is the founder of the Primal Play Method and a physical activity, health and play researcher.

The Primal Play Method fuses evolutionary biology with the science of physical activity and play psychology.

Darryl wants to inspire humans regardless of age, ability or disability to transform their health by making physical activity fun and engaging.

His work has featured on documentaries, TV, radio, podcasts and international press.

Darryl is author of the best-selling book "Animal Moves" and has released a range of fun fitness cards for adults, juniors, infants, office workers and fitness professionals called the Animal Moves Decks.

He regularly presents as a keynote speaker at events worldwide. His April 2019 TED talk "Why working out isn't working out"—has now been viewed over 650,000 times.

Darryl resides in London, England and publishes about playful living at PrimalPlay.com.

Learn more about Darryl on his website.

Simon Lucey

ABOUT SIMON:

Simon is the founder of Hype Collective, a student marketing agency that helps brands engage students on campus, on social and in the media.

Prior to launching Hype Collective, Simon was head of consumer at Campus Media, an award-winning youth marketing agency, and co-founded TEDxClapham. He has been lucky enough to work with brands like L’Oreal, Co-op, Shell, Amazon, KFC, Topshop and Barclays.

Hype Collective help brands engage students on campus, on social and in the media. We aim to be the most creative student marketing agency you’ll come across whilst fully understanding the world of education and what makes our audience tick.

We believe the best way to market to young people is to work with them. Every campaign we run creates opportunities for students. These opportunities are shared across our network of 10 city managers, 100+ brand ambassadors and 5,000+ student societies nationally.

Samantha Clarke

ABOUT SAMANTHA:

Samantha Clarke is a happiness consultant and author of Love It or Leave It - How to be Happy at work 

She is on a mission to help individuals decide whether to LOVE IT or LEAVE IT and get to the crux of what it means to work and live with real meaning, purpose and intention. Through her LILI LIFE platform, individuals can get in the moment advice, practical and actionable bitesize content and community to help them find more work happiness throughout their working day or build a brand new work portfolio. As part of her mission to empower individuals to create more happiness at work she regularly holds a Career Reinvention Bootcamp details to be found here

As a faculty lecturer at The School of Life and The Guardian Masterclasses, she facilitates workshops on career potential, building a portfolio career, managing stress and confidence.

Believing that it’s not just a one way street she works directly with company HR, leaders and managers to create initiatives that spurn better conversations around personal career growth, happiness and wellbeing at work with their employees. Achieving big results with clientele including LVMH, NHS, Nespresso, Innocent, Mediacom, Deutsche Mobile, Dishoom,Virgin, Design Hotels and more.

You can find out more about her book here and her work here.

DR CHRISTINE BAILEY

ABOUT CHRISTINE:

Dr. Christine Bailey is Managing Director, SMB UK and Ireland, as well as being Chief Marketing Officer for the whole of Valitor, an international payment solutions company.  She has spent her career doing B2B marketing in technology/payments, including leading European marketing functions for Hewlett-Packard and Cisco Systems. 

An author, respected thought leader and public speaker with a TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells Talk in June 2016 called ‘Unconventional Career Advice’ (123k views), Christine has been voted #1 Woman in Tech by B2B Marketing and #3 female influencer in UK B2B Marketing by Onalytica.

Passionate about inclusion and diversity, Christine led Connected Women globally for Cisco and is an advisor for the European Women in Payments Network (EWPN).

Christine is also a Senior Fellow of The Conference Board’s Marketing and Communications Center. 

She has a doctorate (DBA) in customer insight from Cranfield School of Management.  She is a contributing author of The PAYTECH book published in Jan 2020 and her book – Customer Insight Strategies: how to understand your audience and create remarkable marketing – will be published by Kogan Page in November 2020.

Sevenoaks Bookshop

ABOUT SEVENOAKS BOOKSHOP:

Independent booksellers since 1948, Sevenoaks Bookshop stocks a wide and varied selection of new books. Friendly expert staff are on hand to recommend and source books for every occasion. A much-loved fixture of the local community, they host literary events, supply schools, and have a cosy in-store café serving delicious homemade cakes.

You can find Sevenoaks Bookshop in our Marketplace selling a selection of books by our TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells speakers. Be sure to visit them for all your TEDxRTW book buying needs. Digitally, you can also find them on their website as well as on twitter, facebook and instagram.
Don’t have a ticket to TEDxRTW yet? Get yours today!

Archie Maddocks

ABOUT ARCHIE MADDOCKS:

Archie is a stand up comedian and writer. For stand-up comedy, he’s a regular on the domestic and international circuit, gigging everywhere from London, to Dubai, to Cape Town, to Runcorn. He’s also a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where his shows have always garnered 4 and 5 star reviews (there was a 2 once, but he refuses to talk about that). As a writer, he’s currently under commission for projects with CBS, Channel 4, ITV, Sky, BBC and a bunch of others (he might be writing this himself, but he will not arrogantly blow his load in an about you section). 

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Hi Archie! We’re excited to have you at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells. Can you please tell us about your idea worth spreading?
My idea is centred around the idea of comedy and offence. Comedy, as a mechanic, relies on the art of surprise - something must surprise, or sometimes shock, in order to illicit laughter. In fact, it’s similarity to drama, which also relies on surprise to affect an audience, is only separated by tone. So why then do people get offended by jokes - by things that are not real? Or worse, by reality?

I want to dissect the idea of comedy and offence and end with the conclusion that offense is actually a good thing, but that jokes shouldn’t be taken more seriously (seen as more offensive) than physical, real bad things. You know like murder, poverty and Katie Hopkins. Lets all just relax a bit and let loose, and laugh.

What is your main motivation for giving a TEDx talk??
My main motivation behind giving a TEDx talk is the money and fame. I’m deadly serious… OK, I’m not. My main motivation is to try and attempt to get people to look at the world a little differently - there’s so much serious stuff going on, that laughter as a method of realising tension should be cherished. 

What’s the one thing that you'd like the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
The one thing I’d like people to take away if laughter ideally - and a renewed sense that sometimes, laughing is the best way to deal with things. 

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
I enjoyed TED talks from Hannah Gadsby and Maz Jobrani.

You can find Archie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and his website.
Get tickets to see Archie perform at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells!

Paul Dunton Orchestra

ABOUT PAUL DUNTON ORCHESTRA:

Singer-songwriter, Paul Dunton leads his own unique cross-over orchestra providing an atmospheric mix of folk and pop with a unique classical twist. The Orchestra is comprised of violin, cello, flute, bass, guitar and percussion, Paul himself on keys/vocals and his lead vocalists, Harriet Langley & Kirsti Robinson. In 2016, Paul and the orchestra were featured on BBC Radio 2 by Joan Armatrading with interviews and airplay of one of Paul’s songs, ‘Don’t Forget’. This led to Paul supporting Joan Armatrading on five occasions during her recent UK tours. The brand new single 'Give Me A Reason' is out now on ITunes, Spotify and all renowned digital stores. The new 14 track album ‘Clearly Invisible’ is available at all gigs. 

Paul Dunton spoke about the importance of music in Tunbridge Wells at our very first TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells event! Be sure to check out his talk.

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What will your group be sharing with the audience at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells?
We will be performing a mix of original compositions and a selection of uniquely arranged standards.

What would you like the audience to take away from your performance?
More than anything, we hope the audience will enjoy our performance, we love to perform live and show people what we are all about! 

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talk(s) and why?

Graham Mann’s talk from TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells 2017, Starting to Improvise.

And lastly, as locals of Tunbridge Wells, what are some of your favourite things about being a part of our local community and what do you recommend visitors from outside Tunbridge Wells do while they're here? 

I am a huge fan of the wonderful independent local food & drink establishments however,  the one thing I love most about Tunbridge Wells is the amazing cultural scene. There is so much fantastic live music and arts on offer. I would therefore recommend all the various venues and events we have on offer with Trinity Theatre, The Assembly Hall Theatre, TheTunbridge Wells Forum, The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Local & Live Festival, Unfest, The Jazz on The Pantiles, The Puppetry Festival, The Mela Festival, Black Deer Festival, the list goes on... Tunbridge Wells is a town teeming with vibrant arts & culture. 

You can find Paul Dunton Orchestra on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Get tickets to see The Dance Studio perform at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells!

The Dance Studio

ABOUT THE DANCE STUDIO:

The Dance Studio is a group of Tap Dancers who formed a class a few years ago wanting to exercise but have laughter, form friendships and learn a new skill. They have performed in many theatres locally and recently took part in a Tapathon in an attempt to break The Guinness World Record. In order to do this, thousands of Tap Dancers all rehearsed the same routine and performed at the same time all over the country, while also raising money for Children In Need.

They have heard whispers that they may have helped to break the record but everyone is waiting for clarification from the group involved before they can start celebrating. Fingers crossed!

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What will your group be sharing with the audience at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells?
We are performing a very short routine and will also get the audience involved with some fun rhythmic clapping.

What would you like the audience to take away from your performance?
We hope the audience enjoys our performance and see how much we enjoy dancing for fun. You can do it too!

And lastly, as locals of Tunbridge Wells, what are some of your favourite things about being a part of our local community and what do you recommend visitors from outside Tunbridge Wells do while they're here?
We love the community here. TW is not only a great place to live but we are surrounded by beautiful countryside, yet so close to our wonderful capital city. Visiting the National Trust and English Heritage properties and gardens are a must when you visit or live here. The most memorable community event was held here at the Assembly Hall. We were involved with raising funds for the Calverley Adventure Playground. Marianne who runs the class along with 3 other TW mums organised the Royal Tunbridge Wells Variety Performance and we raised over £20,000 from 2 incredible performances. the result was a fabulous playground for children just a few minutes walk from here.

The Dance Studio performers:
Marianne Amos, Lucy Clayton, Hannah Philpotts, Jennie Maslin Fong, Abby Clare, Amy Puddick, Emma DeAth, Victoria Avery, and Nikki Twiner.

You can find The Dance Studio on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Get tickets to see The Dance Studio perform at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells!

Peter Basham

ABOUT PETER:

Peter Basham is an actor/director & producer.  He has appeared for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Love's Labour's Lost, Love's Labour's Won and The Christmas Truce.  Other notable acting credits include: As You like it (Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bristol Old Vic), Yerma (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Burial at Thebes & She Stoops to Conquer (Nottingham Playhouse), A View From the Bridge (Duke of York's, London).  Screen highlights include: The Conductor (Shooting Star films), The Promise (Channel 4) Skyfall (EON Pictures), Inception (Warner Bros), Sherlock (BBC) Agatha Raisin (Sky One) Berlin Station (Paramount).  

More recently, Peter has the recurring role of ‘PC Anthony Rogers’ on Eastenders (BBC). Since 2015 Peter has been an Associate Education Practitioner for the Royal Shakespeare Company, has delivered countless workshops for his education company ‘Access Shakespeare’.  In 2019 he founded ‘The Shakespeare Project’ in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

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You’re no stranger to the stage, Peter, and we’re excited to welcome you to ours at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells 2020. Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
Performing some of Shakespeare’s well known and some less well known speeches, we will explore how a shared story still has the power to transform us. 

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
I’m looking forward to bringing some of the wonder and magic of Shakespeare to a new audience.

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
That no matter how much entertainment or information is available online and on demand, there is a great power in coming together to have a shared live experience.

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?

We love having local talent take centre stage at our events. Can you tell us a little bit about what you love about living in Tunbridge Wells?
I love the trees and all the beautiful countryside just a few minutes from our flat.

You can find Peter on Twitter and his website.
Get tickets to see Peter at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells!

Julian Abel

ABOUT JULIAN:

Dr Julian Abel spent his clinical life as a palliative care specialist doctor. He has developed a special interest in compassionate communities, initially as part of supporting people undergoing experiences of death, dying, loss and care giving. Over the last 4 years he has worked with Frome Medical Practice applying the compassionate community approach to healthcare in general, with some startling results. He is Director of Compassionate Communities UK, a charity which aims to share the lessons learnt in both palliative care and primary care more broadly.

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Julian, we’re so pleased that you’re speaking at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells. Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
Compassion is more than just a nice idea. When applied across communities and combined with primary care, the impacts on health are transformational and measurable. How we treat each other as human beings has a profound impact on both health and well-being. The implications for changing the practice of medicine are significant. Being kind and compassionate is something we can all participate in, in whatever ways we can manage. Transforming our world will be done through the joint efforts of everyone doing something.

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
TED talks have an incredible reach. Talks have been watched more than 1 billion times. It really is a global community with the aim of spreading new ideas. What we have to say about compassionate communities is applicable the world over and we want this message to go to as many people as possible. TED is uniquely placed to do this. 

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
Please, be kind and compassionate whenever you can. It makes a difference and is not just something nice to think about. Behaving differently has the power to transform our world, make us healthier, happier, and live longer.

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
Suagta Mitra - The child driven education, Ernesto Sirolli - Want to help somebody? Shut up and listen, Sir Ken Robinson - Do schools kill creativity, and many more!

You can find Julian on Twitter and his website.
Get your tickets to see Julian at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells today!

Christina Blacklaws

ABOUT CHRISTINA:

Christina is passionate about diversity and inclusion, access to justice and technology. She has led her profession as President of the Law Society and holds a number of government positions. Her motivation in life is to make a positive difference in the world. She is married to Graham, has 4 children and one small dog called Frankie.

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We’re thrilled that you’ll be taking the stage at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells stage, Christina. Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
If we are not very careful, we will hardwire society’s prejudices into future computerised/algorithmic decision making - without realising it, bringing about a dystopian future.

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
I want to raise awareness and debate about this important issue. We all have a responsibility to prevent it.

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
The need for us all to actively counter bias, look out for it and call it out when we see it - especially if decisions are being made by machines.

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
I loved the unconscious bias talk by Verna Myers and my very first TED talk, the one that got me hooked, was the meaning of why by Simon Sinek.

We're really excited to be welcoming you to Tunbridge Wells! Is there anything other than giving a TEDx talk that you're looking forward to doing or seeing while you’re here?
Having previously worked in Tunbridge Wells for 3 years, I am really looking forward to coming back. I have so many fond memories of the beautiful town and good friends that I’m really keen to catch up with.

You can find Christina on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Don’t have tickets to see Christina at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells? Change that right now!

Ben Akers

ABOUT BEN:

Ben Akers is a writer, director, problem solver and male mental fitness campaigner. For 20 years he has worked at some of the world’s top advertising agencies both in the UK and Sydney. He then decided to use his evil powers for good, and joined the environmental and sustainable revolution. He now only works on projects that are good for the world. So when his childhood best friend took his own life in 2014, he needed to do something. He created a documentary called “Steve” and from that a male mental fitness movement, Talk Club.

Ben lives in Bristol with his wife and 3 children.

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We’re really looking forward to having you at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells 2020, Ben! Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
My idea is: How do you stop men taking their own lives?

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
Well quite simply it’s to stop the next Steve, to save the next Steve.

Steve Yates was my childhood best friend who took his own life 5 years ago and for the past 2 years I’ve touring the country discovering why men take their own lives and trying to stop the next ones.

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
That we all have power to save lives, and it might be as simple as asking, “How are You? Out of 10?”

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
Well there are far too many to mention. There was one stage in my life when I’d listen to 2 or 3 a day on my commute, but the ones that have helped me the most are:

Joesph Ravenell - How he used where men are to help them help themselves.

William Ury - How he looked at conflict and by approaching it differently, we can all be the solution.

Jane Fonda - This was a personal favourite. It helped me help my mum. My mum is the biggest character/influence in my life, so when Jane Fonda talks about the ”Third Act” the power of knowledge and how we should all respect our elders, I keep reminding her of that.

We're really excited to be welcoming you to Tunbridge Wells! Is there anything other than giving a TEDx talk that you're looking forward to doing or seeing while you’re here?
Ive got some amazing memories of Tunbridge Wells with Steve when we were 19. We used to drive down here from Chislehurst/Sidcup 25 years ago. We’d stop off at as some “Old Man pubs” (I can’t remember their names) and have some amazing chats with gents in there - so I’m looking forward to a walk down memory lane or 2.

Learn more about Ben’s documentary and find him on Cargo Collective , LinkedIn, and his website.

Marian Boswall

ABOUT MARIAN:

Marian Boswall is a leading landscape architect known for shaping beautiful historic estates, creative public spaces and thoughtful gardens. Winner of SGD Grand Award and Garden columnist of the year 2019. She lives in Kent.

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Marian, after the success of your one-minute talk last year, we’re thrilled to welcome you back to the TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells stage! Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
Our gardens are a microcosm of how we treat the earth, and as we are part of the earth's ecosystem, of how we treat ourselves.

Our gardens provide us with sanctuary, personal paradise, physical and mental healing, food and medicine and an understanding of our selves. They can also shape the way we do business... We think we are shaping a garden, when actually we are shaping ourselves and the world.

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
At a time when mental health and the health of the planet are both taking a down turn, small practical steps that people can take to help themselves and the earth are both empowering and collectively very powerful. It is more than just not using plastic bags, it is about how we treat ourselves and each other, and is such an important topic that I feel we have to discuss it and hopefully act upon it.

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
That they have the ability to make a difference.

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
Brené Brown on Vulnerability - Insightful, engaging, funny

Susan Cain On introverts - Thought provoking, helpful

Elon Musk interview - Challenging, positive, future thinking

We're really excited to be welcoming you to Tunbridge Wells! Is there anything other than giving a TEDx talk that you're looking forward to doing or seeing while you’re here?
I love the intimacy of T Wells as well as the green spaces!

You can find Marian on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and her website.
Do you have your tickets to see Marian speak at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells yet?

Simon Lucey

ABOUT SIMON:

Simon is the founder of Hype Collective, an award-winning youth marketing agency that co-creates campaigns with a network of thousands of student and youth groups. Rather than pump money into Facebook and Google each campaign they run funds youth groups to host events or create content on behalf of Hype Collective’s clients. This gives the clients real exposure within targeted communities and these groups much needed funds as well as the opportunity to learn new skills and enhance their career prospects. 

In the first two years Hype Collective has worked with organisations like Adobe, Co-op and Abercrombie & Fitch. In doing so they’ve contributed funds to over 250 grass roots organisations and employed over 300 students.

Prior to launching Hype Collective, Simon co-founded TEDxClapham.

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We really looking forward to having you at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells, Simon! Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
Young people today don’t realise how screwed they are. But they will soon, and it will change everything.

They are the first generation that will grow up to be poorer than their parents. They will save 19 years to buy a house, their parents achieved the same in just three.

Society is set to become even more unequal - with inheritance, or help from parents, the only way to feasibly buy a house. Even those lucky enough to receive significant inheritance will likely receive the bulk when they are in their 60's... a bit late to help with that first house.

Class has always been the main divide within British society – its been the most accurate way of predicting your social values or how you’ll vote. In the future it won’t be class, it’ll be age. Are you ready for some intergenerational conflict?

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
People may be vaguely aware that something is changing. A 16 year old is the face of the fight against climate change, “youthquake” was added to the dictionary and you might have been called a “boomer”.

Beneath all this there is something serious though – young people today are really screwed, but society doesn’t talk about it, perhaps because the people who set the narrative for our media and politics are… boomers?!

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
As a minimum I’d love the audience to walk away with some basic misconceptions about young people challenged. The bigger goal? Well, you’ll have to come to the talk ;-)

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
It’s not an original answer but I refer to Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” constantly.

Apart from that some of my fondest TED memories are from TEDxClapham which I co-founded a few years ago. Although I’ve not been involved for a while I’m still biased and think they’ve had some great speakers. A couple of favourites are Matthew Youlden - How to learn a language easily and Whitney Iles – The violence in our thinking.

We're really excited to be welcoming you to Tunbridge Wells! Is there anything other than giving a TEDx talk that you're looking forward to doing or seeing while you’re here?
I’m pretty new to Tunbridge Wells so looking for recommendations from the audience/speakers on best things to do!

You can find Simon on Twitter, LinkedIn and his website.
If you haven’t already, book your tickets to see Simon speak at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells today!

Georgina Ellison-Hughes

ABOUT GEORGINA:

Georgina is a world-leading female biomedical scientist from King’s College London. Her career has followed an upward trajectory and she has recently been promoted to Full Professor of Regenerative Muscle Physiology. She is the youngest Professor in the Faculty.

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Georgina, we’re so excited to have you speaking at at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells. Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
My TEDx talk will be about how we all need a little more heart. I will describe my research that led to the discovery that the adult heart is a self-renewing organ and can grow new heart cells. Then, I will explain how readily available drugs and agents (i.e. flavonoids, present in fruit and vegetables) can be used to rejuvenate heart repair and regeneration, enabling people to live longer, fuller lives.

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
My main motivation for giving a TEDx talk is to increase public awareness and understanding of research into heart repair and regeneration. With the research we are undertaking we have a very real chance of improving healthspan and lifespan. Plus, I also hope to project my passion for being a scientist, inspire future generations and empower women in Science.  

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
The key take home message from my TEDx talk is simple. The heart has the ability to make new heart cells, but unfortunately this potential for regeneration declines as we age and with disease. My team are currently working on ways to prevent, alleviate or delay the effects of ageing, and rejuvenate the regenerative capacity of the heart. 

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
Dr. Sandrine Thuret, a neuroscientist, who describes how we can help our brains to better perform neurogenesis. The brain is similar to the heart in that it has a limited potential for regeneration. We are studying the effectiveness of similar agents and non-pharmacological interventions (exercise, nutrition) as those described by Dr. Thuret but in relation to the heart and specifically preventing the decline in regenerative capacity associated with aging. We can learn a lot from each other.  Although it’s a deeply technical talk, Dr. Thuret has made it relevant, engaging and understandable.

Why gender equality is not just about women by Caroline Strachan at TEDxFolkestone. I can relate to a lot of what Caroline talks about. Like Caroline, I am an advocate for diversity, inclusion and equality. I work full-time in a high performance culture, have a young family and am in a dual career household. 

And lastly, as a local resident, what do you love most about Tunbridge Wells?
I love that we live in such a pretty town with its history, all its convenience and amenities. But then a stone throw away there is countryside, fresh air, lovely walks and pubs. There is so much diversity in what you can do, and I’m all for diversity! 

You can find Georgina on Twitter and more about her here.
Get tickets to see Georgina speak at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells today!

Samantha Clarke

ABOUT SAMANTHA:

Samantha Clarke is a happiness consultant & changemaker and founder the Love It Leave It movement and author of Love It Leave It - How to be Happy at work.

She is on a mission to liberate individuals from work they no longer love to find a path to true work happiness. As a faculty lecturer at The School of Life and The Guardian Masterclasses, she facilitates workshops on career potential, building a portfolio career, managing stress and confidence.

Believing that it’s not just a one way street she works directly with company HR, leaders and managers to create initiatives that spurn better conversations around personal career growth and wellbeing at work with their employees. To foster better workplaces that support and nurture employees to thrive. Achieving big results with clientele including NHS, Innocent, Mediacom, Deutsche Mobile, Dishoom ,Virgin, Design Hotels and more.

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We can’t wait to welcome you to the TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells stage, Samantha! Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
Love It or Leave It - a modern day mantra for finding purpose and meaning in your work 

How happy are you at work?

Throughout history work has been somewhat shrouded with a ‘grin it and bear it’ attitude. Even now, for some, work straddles being either a source of liberation or angst; progression and enlightenment or a continuous tide of discontentment. Why is it that the search for meaning, happiness and magic at work feels like an arduous quest for most and plain sailing for a handful? 

Surely there must be harmony between these two sides of the coin? I want to get people fired up, passionate and proactive about what they are here on this earth to do and how it can be found in the most wondrous places. If you are keen to create a new and provocative way of experimenting to discover your life’s mission and a vehicle for working in a way that you really want, this talk will give you the tools to start today.

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
My career has been spent working and coaching individuals (and companies) to have better conversations about their personal career growth and make changes to find their mission in life that goes beyond just work as we know it. Finding work we love means putting ourselves out there, being open to growth, testing/tweaking, being resilient and being able to take a few knocks when things don’t go our way. But many have lost their way, are fearful, disheartened and just accepting the status quo. It doesn’t need to be this and I want to change that.

Two quotes that have  inspired me to do the work I do and that led me to my own personal Love It or Leave It mantra are: - 

1. “Work is love made visible... For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half our hunger.” - I’ve always been inspired by this quote by Kahill Gibran (The Prophet) and it’s served as a constant reminder that finding a mission, a vocation or work to pour your heart into is an act of love, servitude and great joy.

2. “Memento mori” - remember that one day you will die. Equally as someone who has a chronic illness, I’m reminded constantly of the fragility of life. Whilst you are living and breathing right now, what are you doing to live your life well, purposefully and spread your talents to others.

Taking these to heart, my modern day twist on the mantra of Love It or Leave It will help the audience fall in love with their work/current jobs or leave it to find something else worth falling for.

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
I want to help the audience fall in love with their work/current jobs or leave it to find something else worth falling for. To reignite their curiosity, passion and fire to find more meaning and purpose in their work.

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
There are too many! Susan Cain - power of introverts, Brené Brown - all, Emilie Wapnick - why some of us don’t have one true calling, and Baratunde Thurston - how to deconstruct racism one headline at a time.

We're really excited to be welcoming you to Tunbridge Wells! Is there anything other than giving a TEDx talk that you're looking forward to doing or seeing while you’re here?
Anything and everything!

You can find Samantha on Twitter, LinkedIn and instagram as well as on her website.
Book your tickets to see Samantha speak at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells today!

Vybarr Cregan-Reid

ABOUT VYBARR:

Vybarr Cregan-Reid is an author, academic and broadcaster who has written widely on the subjects of literature, health, nature and the environment. His most recent book is Primate Change: How the World We Made is Remaking Us. He has also made two series of ‘Changing World, Changing Bodies’ for the BBC World Service which looks at how different parts of the body are changing in different parts of the world. He is Professor of English & Environmental Humanities at the University of Kent.

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We’re really excited to welcome you to the TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells stage, Vybarr. Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
I want to make people more aware of how their habits are changing their bodies - everything from the tips of their toes to the top of their heads. I also hope to provide them with a good sense of just how recently these changes have arrived in our species.

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
I think these talks are the best way of spreading the word about big ideas.

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
After the talk, I hope the audience will have a clearer idea of how their daily habits affect not just their health and mental health, but all sorts of things from their posture, eyesight, allergies, even their actual facial appearance.

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
I’ve got a few favourites, but the one that I think about the most is ‘How to use one paper towel’ by Joe Smith from TEDxConcordiaUPortland. The reason I like it is because of it’s beautifully simple ecological message. So simple, I think about it every time I, well er…, use a public loo

We're really excited to be welcoming you to Tunbridge Wells! Is there anything other than giving a TEDx talk that you're looking forward to doing or seeing while you’re here?
I rather have my eye on The Bijou Cinema. 

You can find Vybarr on Twitter and instagram and on his website.
Don’t have tickets to see Vybarr at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells yet? Change that right now.

Luke AG

ABOUT LUKE AG:

Luke AG is a London based poet with a distinctly political and historical message. He uses poetry and rhyme to navigate through a narrative of his own life, and the people around him. Originally from Hastings, his poetry and ideas provide a narrative of his journey from a small town to the big city, with a couple of pit stops along the way.

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Luke, we’re really looking forward to having you speak at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells. Can you tell us a little bit about your idea worth spreading?
The camera lens conundrum: Around 32% of the adverts we see include people from multicultural backgrounds, and yet, only 13% of the creative industry is made up of people from these groups. Why can’t the people behind the camera be as diverse as the people in front of it?

Using a mixture of poetry and storytelling, I'm going to challenge the creative industry to embrace an increasingly diverse society, and show how diversity on both sides of the lens is important for myriad reasons, including future-proofing the industry and how popular-culture influences society.

A lot of my poems and writing is about identity, and my Half Stereotype poem will give a taste of the poems that will be integrated into the talk.

What was the main motivation for giving a TEDx talk?
A life long ambition, and an opportunity for me to share my perspectives on diversity in the creative industry to a wider audience. Working at a prominent London advertising agency, I want to share some of my observations from the other side of the camera lens.

When I was studying in Canada, a friend gave me the idea to write a TEDxTalk since I was always talking about change and my ambitions for the future. Two years later, I've taken his advice.

What is the one thing you want the audience to take away from your TEDx talk?
I want the audience to consider the camera lens conundrum when they see diversity on screen. I want them to question the motivations behind advertising, and recognise the disproportionate representation on one side of the lens. In a wider sense, I want the audience to think about how popular-culture influences them, and their decisions.

What are some of your favourite TED or TEDx talks?
This first one is a fantastic book and talk, with insightful perspective into how stories shape our realities. Particularly fascinating in regards to how our own stories determine our world view, and the ways in which we position ourselves as 'hero's' within this narrative.

The first TED talk I ever watched! Absolutely brilliant and incredibly insightful. I watched this when I was in school, and it motivated me to continue being creative in my spare time, even if my career adviser told me that I should study a 'hard' subject at uni...

Salma is very inspirational, and one of the main reasons I want to do a TED talk. I met her a couple of years ago at a spoken word event and recently went on her BBC Radio London show The Scene to talk about my ambitions for the future. A lot of my poetry focuses on identity, and Salma makes a number of amazing points which really resonate with me. The amount of times people have asked me 'where are you from, from?', is ridiculous.

A well put-together talk which shows how media can be manipulated for political gain. The insidious nature of Cambridge Analytica's influence on Brexit and Trump is highlighted here, and Carol is a wonderful speaker.

I mean, this TED talk is the dream. It's one of the reasons I want to integrate poetry into my talk, in a somewhat similar way to how Jon uses music and image to convey his ideas. His book is brilliant, and this talk is a wonderful snippet of a very dark and dangerous topic. His insight within this talk is surprising, and I respect the ways that he challenges mainstream thoughts and his own ideas.

We're really excited to be welcoming you back to Tunbridge Wells, Luke. Is there anything other than giving a TEDx talk that you're looking forward to doing or seeing while you’re here?
I grew up in Hastings, Royal Tunbridge Well's ruffian East Sussex cousin. I spent a lot of time in Tunbridge when I was younger where my mums best friend used to live. I love this corner of the country, and there are so many nuances of culture which are unique to here.

I'm excited to speak to a semi-familiar audience and share my stories and observations about my journey from Hastings to London and my observations of the mysterious world behind the camera lens.

You can find Luke on Facebook and instagram and on his website.
And while you’re at it, make sure you have your ticket to see Luke at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells.