Newcastle Students Explore Mental Health By Hosting First TEDx Event

A team of undergraduates from Newcastle College University Centre have been tasked with organising its first TEDx event, to be held on Friday 26 April.

The sold-out event will focus on mental health and wellbeing, explore the resilience of the human mind and take a look at neurodiversity, the dangers of apathy and generational divides in perspective.

Child and Young Person Development student James O’Hara, has led a team of fellow students to curate the event, with the theme of ‘Life Finds a Way.’

He says: “We’re focusing on mental health and wellbeing, which is a prevalent topic at the moment.

“The stigma is starting to break away and the taboo is going, which is great, so we want this event to have a bit of a different slant to your average mental health and wellbeing event, to be a celebration of human resilience.

“Everything is student led and every aspect that can be done by a student will be, right down to the sound and lighting.”

TED talks are famous around the world for sharing ideas from leading speakers in talks which are viewed online by millions across the globe. Launched in 2009, TEDx is program of locally organised events that bring the community together to share a TED-like experience. Some of the best talks from TEDx events have gone on to be featured on TED.com and garnered millions of views from audiences across the globe.

Put together entirely by students, the TEDxNewcastleCollege event will feature speakers including academics, campaigners, comedians, artists and even a dog.

Higher Education Research and Projects Co-ordinator, Laura Gower, who has been overseeing the team of students during their project said: “I can’t wait to see the hard work of our students come together for the first TEDxNewcastleCollege event.

“We have some excellent speakers lined up and the theme of Life Finds a Way covers a number of fascinating topic which I think will really resonate with our audience.”

 Speakers announced for the event include:

• Dr Dominique Thompson: Understanding the ‘Why’. What Young People Wish Their Parents and Carers Knew.
• Holly Matthews: Tough Luck – Accepting Life’s Unfairness Will Set You Free
• Richard Davies: Not Everything Sucks
• Dr Kirstie Anderson: Stories from the Sleep Clinic – Better Nights for Better Days
• Syd Barnes: The Death and Life of Syd
• Dr Rosemary Hill: The Gendered Experience of Music
• Dr Matt Winning: Climate Strange
• Dr Oliver Jones: Human Experience – Evolution, Emotion and Environment Design
• Connor Gregory (Scotty Rawk): Wrestling with my Mental Health
• Catrina McHugh (Open Clasp Theatre Company): Resilient People Don’t Walk Between Raindrops
• Emily Dean: Everyone Died and So I Got a Dog

 Event Information: TEDxNewcastle College

Location: Newcastle College Performance Academy, Peter Sarah Theatre Friday 26 April 2019, 3.30pm