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Young people in Gloucester host first TEDx event

Annabelle MartinGloucestershire
News imageTia Callum Image shows six people seated on a wooden bench inside a grand historic hall, surrounded by tall columns, dark-panelled walls and a decorative mosaic floor. The photograph appears to be a formal group shot with the group centred beneath a gold commemorative plaque, highlighting a mix of casually dressed individuals in an impressive civic or cultural venue.Tia Callum
The TEDx organisers are aged between 18 and 35

Gloucester is set to host its first-ever TEDx event, organised entirely by a team of young people from the city.

TEDx Eastgate Street will be held at Gloucester Guildhall on Sunday 20 September and will see 12 speakers showcasing ideas, experiences and stories based on this year's theme - entitled "Merge: When Stories Meet, Communities Grow".

The event has been organised by people aged between 18 and 35 with most of the speakers also having strong links to Gloucester.

Co-lead organiser Tia Callum said she was "excited" to bring TEDx to the city and hoped it would help to "challenge perceptions around what young people can be capable of achieving".

News imageTia Callum Image shows a large TEDx Eastgate Street sign displayed in a modern event space with exposed ceilings, bright lighting and white walls, as preparations get under way for Gloucester's first TEDx event.Tia Callum
This is the first time TEDx has come to Gloucester

TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, is a non-profit organisation that encourages people to share ideas through talks.

The TEDx programme allows communities to apply to host their own TED talks and experiences.

Co-lead organiser Callum Docksey, who was born and raised in Gloucester, said it was "a real pleasure" to bring TEDx to the city.

He said he was "very proud" to be from Gloucester and was excited to see events such as TEDx taking place there.

Docksey said choosing the speakers was one of the biggest challenges after the organisers received more than 50 applications.

He said there were "some big figures in Gloucester" among the applicants, making the final decision "very tough".

News imageTia Callum Image shows a woman with short brown curly hair and clear round glasses. She is wearing a white top with a blue cardigan and there is a building in the background behind her. The woman is smiling and is looking directly at the camera.Tia Callum
Amy Heywood, one of the TEDx speakers, grew up in Gloucester

Speakers include Amy Heywood who will give a talk called The Life and Death of Community Theatre.

Heywood, who is from Gloucester, said the idea for her talk came from growing up in the city and seeing how communities there often had "so much passion and drive" but were not "standing the test of time".

She said she had once felt that Gloucester "was not a great place to live" but she had since changed her mind.

"I had moments in my youth where I thought it was not a great place to live but now I really think it has a charm," she said.

Heywood said she hoped her talk would help reignite people's passion for the arts and culture in Gloucester.

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