TEDx
Youth @ Croydon
x=independently organized TED event
On 16th November 2013, TEDxYouthCroydon
took place at the prestigious BRIT School for
Performing Arts & Technology, in Selhurst.
This unique event saw 11 young speakers
present well-formed and inspirational ideas
in less than fifteen minutes to a selection of
students from Sixth Form schools based
within the borough. The first annual event
showcased aspirational ideas from young
people who definitely inspired the youthful
audience from Croydon.
2011 saw the London riots erupt onto the streets
of Croydon. In their wake, the organisers of
TEDxYouthCroydon felt justifiably that their
event helped to shine a positive light on young
people who felt they were not being heard,
giving them a means of self-expression and
also celebrating all the great things about
the borough.
The theme of the event was ‘THE SPARK –
What’s The Idea?’ and nine young speakers
were featured including poet Najite Graham,
the three creators of the ‘Mandem on the Wall’
comedy series and Founder & CEO of
Brainbook Ltd., Gary Smith. They shared
stories, ideas and knowledge about where
the spark for their journey began and what
they did with their ideas to make a difference
in the world. There were also performances
from Mandem On The Wall and The Brit
Dance Group.
The event in turn inspired other young people to
run with their ideas and make their own dreams
come true, creating opportunities for the youth
of Croydon and generating a positive perception
of the area.
TedxYouthCroydon was part of TEDxYouthDay,
a series of events taking place in over a
hundred countries around the world to coincide
with Universal Children’s Day (20th November).
Around 17,000 young people took part in the
global movement.
The event was streamed live onto the TED
website, and has already been one of the
most viewed TED youth events worldwide,
which goes to show the power that young
people have in making a difference within
their communities and beyond.
You can watch the event at www.tedxyouthcroydon.com
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YouthPhoriaUK