Theme: Louder than Words

We invite you to join us for a collection of inspiring TED talks given by a host of amazing speakers from around the world. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. A TEDx Talk is a showcase for speakers presenting great, well-formed ideas in under 18 minutes.

Shaftesbury School is proud to be hosting the first ever TEDx event in the town's history. We have secured a TEDxYouth license and will be hosting the event from the iconic Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

Established in 1957, in the old covered market in the centre of the medieval Dorset hilltop market town of Shaftesbury, Shaftesbury Arts Centre is now widely recognised as one of the best volunteer membership-led arts centres in South West England.

Our event is themed around 'Louder than Words'. Divided into four chapters that each tell a compelling story, we hope our event speaks to the times we are living through. 16 speakers will take the stage to share ideas around climate change, social injustice, digital innovation, and well-being. Our speaker bill is made up of children and adults, with some speakers travelling from as far afield as the USA, Canada, India, and Switzerland to tell their stories.

Shaftesbury Arts Centre (Shaftesbury School)
13 Bell Street
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8AR
United Kingdom

Antoine Walter

GF Piping Business Developer - Host of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast

Antoine Walter studied and graduated in Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering, but his actual knowledge comes from what he's seen in the trenches of the Water World. That's how he learned about water treatment in Hong Kong, desalination in Melbourne, water management in Jakarta, water innovation in Singapore, and social water projects in New Delhi and Gujarat. Having documented his adventures in videos, blog articles, radio spots, and conferences, Antoine moved on to become an active member of the Water Industry. He drew the roadmap to SUEZ's ozone and UV products while also involved in process development and sales. Since 2017 he has been leading GF Piping System's business development for the company's services in Europe, then for all Water Treatment topics worldwide. Antoine is also the host of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast, with over 250 episodes published - available on all platforms. He's married, a happy father of three, and he's French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Archie Friend

Student

From an early age, Archie Friend has had a passion for music, art, and cinema, devoting his free time to critiquing music throughout time and studying the many scenes of rock and roll. Archie recently enrolled in the National youth theatre and has been working on independently produced short films over the last year.

Fatimah Hussain

CEO of BluWings Technologies LLC, 2 Min Maths!, Unicorn Lock | TEDx Speaker | CAD | iOS Dev | Robotics | Biotech x Women's Health

From her first STEM experience from a Stanford scholarship, Fatimah's immersed in STEM. She has a knack for anything from 3D printing her startup prototype products to building a biotech project on women's health. She's a former TEDx speaker-- has public speaking skills from speaking at a iOS dev workshop for one of the largest hackathons formed for women, & inspires women to divulge in the field of STEM @ Kode with Klossy's podcast.

ffinlo Costain

Founder, Food & Global Security Network / Chief Executive, Farmwel

Founder, Food & Global Security Network / Chief Executive, Farmwel Changemaker with a strong track record of managing political progress, building coalitions, and empowering communities and businesses across the UK and EU.

Gwen Hamblin

Student

Gwen Hamblin is a student in her second year of the sixth form with a strong desire to make the world a more accepting place. She has always had a passion for normalising bodies and destigmatizing them and wants to emphasise that every body is unique and equally valid as one another. There is great negativity that surrounds the views of ourselves and our bodies and her aim is to help debunk this negativity. Gwen is studying English Literature, History, and Sociology and aims to use skills from these subjects to clearly articulate the issues that surround body types and how they can become more widely accepted

Henrietta Love

Student

Henrietta is currently studying for A-Levels in Maths, Economics and History with the hope of achieving a place at Oxford University to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics. Henrietta’s work this academic year as a prefect and as part of the early entry application programme mean she has first-hand experience of the university application system and the pressure faced by herself and her fellow students. Passionate about rural education opportunities, earlier this summer Henrietta won the National Young Farmers Junior Member of the Year Competition and represents the South West on the National Young Farmers Youth Forum.

James Joshi

Student

James Joshi is a student in the second year of 6th form with a passion for philosophy and how it shapes our world - the implications of modern society on our lives and how we can improve as a species. He is currently studying physics, chemistry, and Philosophy & Ethics – a seemingly odd trifecta, however, the scientific understanding that physics and chemistry provide grants deeper, interesting perspectives into many philosophical ideas, such as posthumanism. Armed with a stutter and tenacious perseverance, James has performed on stage many times, learning to overcome the natural fear of public speaking that comes with a lifelong stammer.

Joseph Russo

CVO at Project Connect

Joe Russo is a successful entrepreneur who has a great ability to make things happen and find ways around problems. He is passionate about making a difference and it is of the utmost importance that Joe leaves his mark on whoever he works with and whatever area he works in. Due to Joe's cultural background and the barriers he faced as a youngster due to having severe dyslexia, he has perfected the art of creating human connections that bring about change and success.

Leah Wang

Student

Leah is a 16 years old student from the United States. She is passionate about technology, specifically app development and is involved with STEM-based organizations such as Kode With Klossy and the New York Academy of Sciences. She loves to involve herself in advocacy, especially in the form of debating.

Liv Bowditch

Student

Liv, is 17 years old, and a student at The Gryphon Sixth Form where she is currently studying for A levels in History, Maths, Economics and Geography. Liv has a real passion for gender equality – with a special emphasis on career progression and pay parity. Liv says “I am lucky. I’m surrounded by brilliant women and supportive men, at home, at The Gryphon School and beyond, who have lifted me up and always told me there was nothing that I could not do if I worked hard and set my mind to it. However, when the time came for me to look at potential careers, the data told me a different story. Girls were getting better grades but still weren’t getting as many of those top jobs! I soon realised that due to societal hurdles, no matter how hard I or other young women worked, the odds of girls like me reaching the top were still slim compared to my male peers. For example, in 2021, only 4% of CEOs in the FTSE 250 were women. Not only that, but in 2022, the UK gender pay gap is at 15.4%!

Mya James

Student

Mya James is a Year 11 student at Shaftesbury school with great ambitions. She is highly outspoken and opinionated when it comes to topics she is passionate about. She wants to be a voice for people who may not have the confidence to speak out on social injustices. She is currently studying History, RE, Spanish, and PE however, she is especially enthused by History and RE, as those subjects give her more of an insight into the world and what goes on in it. The past shapes the present and she sees history as an opportunity to learn more about why the world is the way it is now and why aggressions are still overlooked to this day and age. With an immense stage presence due to many singing and acting performances, Mya has grown the confidence over the years to become a mesmerising speaker.

Nadia Chapman

Student

Nadia is a Year 9 student whose passions are reading, science and theatre. She has a relevant lyric for most situations. Her favourite musical is ‘Six’ because it helps us understand previously unheard women’s views which can change our thinking. Nadia believes actions are necessary to ensure equity. Nadia cares about taking steps to care for the environment. She joined the school Eco club, walks or rides 4 miles to and from school, and became a pescatarian (which she found surprisingly easy). This has directly impacted her family’s choices to eat a more environmentally friendly diet and cycle on holiday.

Rayyan Ahmed

Student

Rayyan Ahmed is a 17-year-old Gen Z entrepreneur. Currently, he is the CEO of Rayze Consulting, a Gen Z Consulting company that has worked with companies such as Intuit and KraftHeinz. He's also part of Google's Z Council and has spoken at multiple conferences including CareerCon and YMS NYC.

Sam McLaren

Creative Innovator

Voted runner-up for Digital Leader of the year at age 24 and a founder of The Festival of the Future. Sam is a creative innovator and a jack of all trades, Service Design, Graphic Design, video production, event management, podcasting, and directing. He will take on any challenge. With a background in Tech and Design, his career expands over several industries including, Project Management, IT, Innovation, and Communications. Sam worked his way up from an apprentice position to a creative innovator and leader. He is passionate about helping people embrace their inner creativity and inspiring others to tell their stories.

Simon Constantine

Co-Founder ånd fragrance and Finder of Careys Secret Garden

Simon Constantine's unique approach to perfumery through a regenerative lens and grassroots ethos started decades ago as Head of Ethical Buying for cosmetic giant Lush Cosmetics. Simon continues the work he started at Lush at ånd fragrance by supporting communities whose voices need to be heard at this time of ecological and climate crisis. He also holds a position as Trustee for the Sumatran Orangutan Society as well as judging on the Permaculture Magazine Prize and Finder of Careys Secret Garden.