The TEDxKingAlfredSchool event has become a highlight of the school calendar and, despite being delayed from February, the September 2021 event didn’t disappoint. Fourteen speakers took to The Phoenix Theatre stage and wowed the (small) audience with their confidence and creativity, talking about subjects close to their hearts.
Head, Robert Lobatto acted as MC for the event and said: “It’s great to have TEDx back in person and feel the energy of everybody back in the room together. The wisdom and insight of the young people speaking was tremendous.”
Covid measures meant that we couldn’t have a large audience so, for those who weren’t able to come in person, here are the wonderful talks by students, parents and staff of The King Alfred School:
In ‘Happiness is Overrated’ Year 13 student Alanna Schneider challenges us to appreciate the negative emotions we all experience:
In this moving talk ‘An Unpredictable Foe’ by English Teacher Zoe Rawlings we learn that you can take positive lessons even in the most difficult circumstances:
Lockdown forced us all to do more online. In his talk ‘Killing Zombies Can Be Fun’ Year 13 student Toby Shapin describes how gaming saved his sanity:
‘Chasing The Shadows’ by KAS parent Molemisi Kono is a thoughtful talk about how early intervention can be transformative for the visually impaired:
Working in the tech industry has given KAS parent Claire Harvey many insights which she shares in her talk, ‘The Truth About Technology’:
If you use humour to grease the social wheels, what happens when others don’t get the joke asks Year 13 student Jacob Hurlock in his talk, ‘What Makes People Laugh?’:
Year 11 student Lucas Szaniecki in ‘Dare To Fail’ stresses the importance of not giving up at each little failure:
The powerful talk by KAS Art Technician and Blacksmith Nichola-Rae Bevers ‘Forging The Truth’, looks at the healing power of hot metal:
‘Zeno’s Swim Club: Finding Comfort In Discomfort’ is a refreshing dip in the world of outdoor swimming by Simon Kerslake, Learning Support Teacher
Based on her own personal experiences, ‘I Chose Hope’ by KAS parent Billie Bacall is an eloquent investigation into the power of images to heal:
Year 13 student Oscar Broadley wants us to follow our passions in his talk, ‘Embrace The Ridiculous’:
Can’t sleep? Neither can Year 13 student Arthur Conti Stanley. In his talk ‘Coronasomnia’ he muses on the lessons he has learnt:
Representation is important and Year 11 student Beatrice Roberts is fighting to make sure that schools see that in her talk, ‘Where Am I?’:
This spoken word poem, ‘PAIN: The Price Of The Ticket’ by Zah Rasul, Head of Estates Operations at KAS is a moving paean to the power of pain:
Click here to see talks from the 2019 event.
Click here to see talks from the 2020 event.