TEDxStormont Women1: Pictured at the launch of TEDxStormont Women, Sarah Travers, Broadcaster, Eva Grosman, Curator of TEDxStormont Women and Deirdre Heenan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Communication and Provost of Coleraine and Magee. TEDx, the internationally renowned live speaker event, is coming back to Belfast in the form of TEDxStormont Women, on the 29th of May. Ten high profile women from Northern Ireland will share ideas and inspirations with over 60 guests in the intimate setting of the Glass house at Stormont Castle. TEDxStormontWomen will be based on the theme of “Momentum. Moving forward. Gaining speed. Building traction”, with speakers talking for 18 minutes or less to share their ideas how together as a society, we can overcome modern day challenges here in Northern Ireland and beyond.
TEDx, the internationally renowned live speaker event, is coming back to Belfast in the form of TEDxStormont Women, on the 29th of May.
Ten high profile women from Northern Ireland will share ideas and inspirations with over 60 guests in the intimate setting of the Glass House at Stormont Castle.
The event, which is locally and independently organised, brings the TEDx brand to the iconic Stormont Castle, which sees the third time TED has come to the Hill. Started as a four day conference in California over 26 years ago, TED and the TEDx programme has grown to support world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. TEDWomen 2015 is a TED event curated by TED that focuses on women and women’s issues.
TEDxStormontWomen will be based on the theme of “Momentum. Moving forward. Gaining speed. Building traction”, with speakers talking for 18 minutes or less to share their ideas how together as a society, we can overcome modern day challenges here in Northern Ireland and beyond. There will also be a live webcast of TEDWomen from Monterey, California, keeping TEDxStormontWomen in the global conversation.
Compered by broadcaster Sarah Travers, TEDxStormont Women will feature leading women, thinkers and doers representing such diverse fields as law, politics, religion, entertainment, visual and performance art, music, and business among others.
Eva Grosman, Curator of TEDxStormont said:
“I am overwhelmed to be delivering TEDxStormont Women, as it offers the chance for strong engagement between women and politics in Northern Ireland’s civic society.
“This is a great opportunity to listen to individuals at the top of their professions to speak out in a political setting. TEDxStormont Women will bring interested women into the civic debate in Northern Ireland and allow them to engage with, debate and shape our political and civic landscape.
Speaking at the launch, Sarah Travers said:
“It’s an honour to be a part of an event that brings women and women’s issues to the forefront and gives them an outlet to talk on the theme of momentum, moving forward, gaining speed. And building traction. Bringing TEDxStormont Women to the wonderful setting of Stormont Castle is the perfect place to listen to the ideas and inspiration of the wealth of speakers participating this year”.
“Through the power of our ideas we can overcome the challenges of the 21st century and TEDxStormontWomen presents a wonderful opportunity for us to hear from some fantastic women from the worlds of politics, business, and entertainment and beyond as they share their ideas”.
Speakers and Performers will include:
- Superintendent Paula Hilman MBE. Awarded her MBE for services to Policing and the Community in Northern Ireland, Paula has provided the community with over 27 years of outstanding service in a range of roles.
- Deirdre Heenan. Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Communication and Provost of Coleraine and Magee campuses.
- Cheryl Reid Meban. Is a minister of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. She serves as Chaplain to Ulster University in Belfast and Jordanstown.
- Cheylene Murphy. Has toured worldwide with her band Wonder Villains and is a published songwriter with Polar Patrol Publishing.
- Emma Pengelly. Special Adviser to the First Minister of Northern Ireland. Her work consists mainly of policy design, delivery and negotiation.
- Orlaith Hendron. Political and social activist, a poet, a wanderer and a strong advocate for women.
- Dr Elizabeth Welty BS, MA, PhD. Working in peace & conflict studies, capacity building, education, yoga and mindfulness for the past 18 years. She has opened two yoga studios.
- Cathy Martin. Runs CMPR, a PR agency which focuses on consumer and lifestyle PR as well as events and, more recently, Talent management. Perhaps best known for Belfast’s FASHIONWEEK – a multi-award-winning event.
- Katie Richardson. Musician, composer, musical director, actress and facilitator. She started a new project ‘to be beautiful’ which will give a creative response to the issue of body image.
- Heather McCormick. Works in sales and marketing for Accenture. Board member of the Washington Ireland Program for service and leadership, and Dress for Success London, a women’s employment charity.
- DJ Venus. One of Belfast’s best-know female DJs. She has carved her own niche with a unique blend of 1920s -1950s Swing-Jazz, World and electronic music. A resident DJ for Love Music Hate Racism.
TED surpassed a billion video views. TED Talks are being viewed at a rate of 1.5 million times a day — which means that a new viewing commences 17 times a second.
