Local ideas worth spreading, 3 years on…
TEDxSoweto 2010 – The Inaugural TEDxSoweto was held on the 27th April 2010, at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. 20 Extraordinary speakers, in riveting 18-minute talks and performances shared their perspectives on the theme – “The Age of Participation”
TEDxSoweto 2011 – The Future is Inevitable – was held on 24 September 2011, in the heart of Soweto at the Miagi Centre for Music, on the premises of the iconic Morris Isaacson High School. While the 2010 event was focused on building local community, the 2011 event was about starting an international dialogue – with some of our speakers coming from West Africa, the US and Europe.
TED @ Johannesburg – From April to June 2012, TED held public auditions in 14 cities on six continents seeking to uncover new talents, many of whom would be invited to speak at TED 2013 under the theme “The Young, the Wise, the Undiscovered”. TEDxSoweto organised the Johannesburg event, in partnership with TED. TED curator Chris Anderson, along with TED content director Kelly Stoetzel and TEDxSoweto convenor Kelo Kubu, hosted the event. TED @ Johannesburg contributed two speakers to TED 2013 – Lesley Perkes and Alan Savory. Another TED @ Johannesburg speaker, Ludwick Marishane, has since been featured on TED.com and yet another, Toby Shapshak, has been invited to speak at TED Global 2013 this June.
TEDxSoweto 2012 – On 20th October 2012, at the new Soweto Theatre, TEDxSoweto invited all to close their eyes, open their minds, take a deep breath, and Leapfrog! Notable highlights include the heartwarming talk presented by photo bloggers “I see a Different You”, and digital games developer Anne Githuku-Shongwe’s and mother-toungue activist Phiwayinkosi Mbuyazi’s talks being featured on the TEDx blog. Also, we’re thrilled that since this event Soweto Theatre has become the new home for TEDxSoweto. We look forward to many happy years at what is arguably Johannesburg’s best equipped theatre facility.
Over the years our speakers have covered a wide range of issues – education, technology, music, robotics, astronomy, photography, energy, youth, design, film and innovation. From now till end of June, on our blog, we will revisit these topics, chat to some of our speakers and open the discussion to the community.
Stay close.