A double digit line-up of speakers has been announced for the flagship TEDxPerth event in 2023, marking the return of nation’s second biggest TEDx event after a three-year hiatus.
The expanded format event is being staged at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre for the first time on Saturday 1 April, with TEDxPerth General Manager Nicole Riksman expecting the quality speaker line-up to attract a record attendance.
“Our speaker curation team has been working hard behind the scenes to identify 10 alluring speakers covering topics and subjects that have application to a broad audience,” she said.
“Given this is our first major WA event since 2019, we’re upping the ante to offer the people of Perth and Western Australia the chance to hear direct from some our State’s most interesting people and personalities, as well as some visiting speakers.”
Among the first release of speakers is highly respected Noongar elder and researcher Professor Leonard Collard who has spent a lifetime studying the meaning and importance of place names, WA Museum marine biologist Dr Nerida Wilson who uses facial recognition technology to research sea dragons, as well as renowned photographers Jarrad Seng and Lauren Crooke.
Astronomer Greg Quicke, affectionately known as Space Gandalf, will be sharing his stories from outer space, while the audience will hear from anaesthetist and former AMA WA president Dr Andrew Miller about how caring for his elderly mother shaped his passion for improving aged care.
Coming in from the Eastern States is director and interviewer Kirk Docker from ABC’s You Can’t Ask That, who will help the audience rediscover the art of navigating awkward conversation, while The Chaser’s War on Everything funnyman and broadcaster Chris Taylor is MCing the event.
And from WA’s regions, Nyiyaparli/Yindijbarndi woman Jahna Cedar will share her experience of Indigenous culture intersecting business, while Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup’s Susie Delaporte is discussing her mission to improve driving accessibility for people living with disability.
Ms Riksman said additional speakers and a series of associated breakout events would be announced in coming weeks as anticipation and curiosity for the event grows.
“Ticket demand is already strong, so to secure your spot jump online and book now, and sign up to our mailing list to receive updates on new speakers and breakout events as they are announced.”
Ticketing, partnership and event information can be found online at https://www.tedxperth2023.org
TEDxPerth 2023 speakers
Shani Graham: Sustainability consultant and community organiser
Ten years after her remarkable TEDxPerth talk about Hulbert Street, Shani will share how her mission to develop a more resilient community grew and moved from a street in Fremantle to an entire suburb.
Dr Andrew Miller: Anaesthetist and former AMA (WA) President
Andrew will share how he began to support his elderly mother and became more aware of her needs and wants, and how this changed his views on aged care in Australia. Andrew is an anaesthetist, columnist, and former President of AMA (WA).
Dr Nerida Wilson: WA Museum marine and molecular biologist
Sea dragons have unique faces, and this allows each sea dragon to be identified. Using facial recognition technology, scientists such as Nerida can now study many more sea dragons, getting a much more complete understanding of their behaviours, and in a much less intrusive way.
Professor Leonard (Len) Collard: Nyungar elder and ARC Chief Investigator at UWA
Len is a Nyungar elder, passionate language preserver and business owner. He will give an insight into the shared history of Indigenous and colonialist Western Australia, and how that is reflected in our place names.
Jarrad Seng: Professional photographer
Jarrad shares how a personal philosophy, one of “just one more shot”, can help achieve the most amazing results. He is a photographer, has featured on reality TV show Survivor and is an ambassador for Qantas and Canon.
Greg Quicke: Astronomer and astronomy business owner
AKA “Space Gandalf”, Greg will lead the audience on a journey that will give a cosmic perspective that makes all other issues seem small.
Kirk Docker: Director and Interviewer
The brain behind ABC’s You Can’t Ask That, Kirk will help us rediscover the lost art of conversation in an age of isolation and social media bubbles. He will show how, through empathy and curiosity, we can all have better conversations.
Susie Delaporte: Driving with disability advocate
Susie will share how her mission to improve driving accessibility for people with disabilities led to fewer young people jailed for driving offences and fewer deaths on the roads. Susie is the Senior Community Engagement Officer at Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup.
Jahna Cedar: Nyiyaparli/Yindijbarndi woman and IPS Management Consultants Executive Director
As an Indigenous businesswoman, Jahna navigates two worlds with differing practices and responsibilities. She believes to progress reconciliation, a more widespread understanding of this code switching is needed, and her talk will help listeners develop their understanding.
Lauren Crooke: Professional photographer and nudescapist
Lauren shares how she uses photography as a tool to empower women, heal the wounds of personal and challenge patriarchy.
About TEDxPerth
Our event is called TEDxPerth, where x = independently organised TED event. TEDxPerth aims to be a beacon for all that is remarkable, challenging and thought-provoking in Perth, and to both celebrate and raise the intellectual ambition and culture of Western Australia. Organised by a team of hardworking volunteers, TEDxPerth is now in its 10th year.
TEDxPerth has welcomed over thousands of audience members, and over 13 million more online. Since its inception, TEDxPerth has given opportunities to nearly 1,000 volunteers, and presented over 145 amazing ideas worth spreading. We are looking forward to adding to these numbers in 2023.
You can follow TEDxPerth on LinkedIn; Facebook; Instagram and Twitter and view all our amazing TEDxPerth Talks on our YouTube Channel here.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organised events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organised.
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organisation devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, often in the form of short talks delivered by leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED conferences, intimate TED Salons and thousands of independently organized TEDx events around the world. Videos of these talks are made available, free, on TED.com and other platforms. Audio versions of TED Talks are published to TED Talks Daily, available on all podcast platforms.
TED’s open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; TEDx, which licenses thousands of individuals and groups to host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities; The Audacious Project, which surfaces and funds critical ideas that have the potential to impact millions of lives; TED Translators, which crowdsources the subtitling of TED Talks so that big ideas can spread across languages and borders; and the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED also offers TED@Work, a program that reimagines TED Talks for workplace learning. TED also has a growing library of original podcasts, including The TED Interview with Chris Anderson, WorkLife with Adam Grant, Far Flung with Saleem Reshamwala and How to Be a Better Human.