Theme: Future

TEDx is a grassroots initiative, created in the spirit of TED’s overall mission to research and discover “ideas worth spreading.” TEDx brings the spirit of TED to local communities around the globe through TEDx events. With that in mind, it is with great pleasure to bring to you the first TEDx Wimbledon High School event, allowing young minds of the future to share ideas and inspire our thinking. We increasingly live in a world where we are subjected to algorithms creating polarised views without discourse. However, we hope that this TEDx event will foster curiosity, challenge scepticism, develop inspiration and most importantly start action.

Wimbledon High School
Wimbledon High School
Wimbledon, London, City of, sw194ab
United Kingdom

Allegra K

Thinking on the edge about tomorrow

Allegra Koutsovasilis is passionate about playing and composing music, and reads a wide range of book genres. She enjoys travel, especially visiting her relatives in Melbourne, Australia, has fun experimenting in the kitchen, loves to play hockey and to do ballet. Her favourite school subjects and activities include English, Music, Science and LAMDA. Allegra is working on Grade 7 piano and Grade 6 violin. In 2018, she won the ‘Strings Musician of the Day’ award performing with a 400-piece orchestra. Allegra is a published Young Writers author with her ‘Flight 207’ crime saga published in the 2021 book ‘Unsolved Awesome Adventures’. She believes you will never know everything about everything, but you can always learn as much as you can.

Anoushka K

Life

When Anoushka isn't busy sketching, playing rugby or annoying her younger brother, she can be found researching other cultures and expanding her geographical knowledge. A firm optimist and believer in the ability of people to learn positively from each other, Anoushka sees beauty in the mundane. Grade 2 on piano and a trophy winning member of Wimbledon Rugby club, Anoushka loves cooking chocolate spring rolls and reading David Baddiel.

Antonia B

How Society is Changing Our Speech

Growing up, Antonia lived in four countries and as a result speaks three languages. She started reading from a very young age and is often still found in a corner with her nose in a book. Through reading, Antonia discovered mythology, leading her to study both Latin and Ancient Greek at school. Her passion for linguistics was sparked in these lessons, with a particular interest in how language can affect our society, and how it can change views on gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights. When she isn't reading, Antonia can be found hanging from a trapeze.

Caroline Y

A.I: Salvation or condemnation for the human race?

The power of Artificial Intelligence is unquestionable. The ability of ‘intelligent’ machines to assimilate new ideas through constant evolution and adaptation paves the way for their application in dealing with the greatest challenges faced by humans. Caroline, a keen philosopher, economist and linguist, seeks to analyse the rise in AI technology through a sociopolitical and philosophical lens, discussing the ethical conundrum of AI programming and the implications for all our futures. Intending to pursue philosophy at degree level, Caroline is fascinated by the morality of artificial intelligence, which she has explored in numerous essay competitions and even through poetry.

Eva H

Eva is a committed netballer and singer and is passionate about the environment. She believes that her generation hold the key to fixing the oncoming environmental disaster and righting the wrongs of generations past. An aspiring musician and thespian, Eva holds Grade 3 in Piano and Grade 4 in LAMDA. She has represented her school on the netball pitch and loves reading Anthony Harowitz novels.

Georgia T

Will the world survive me first?

Why do people fail to work together to solve problems - or even actively try to avoid co-operating - when this seems illogical and against personal as well as social interests? This is a very live issue in major current affairs, from climate change or resource conflicts to anti-vax campaigns or nationalist causes. Georgia has grown up with interests in global security and the geopolitics of the environment, international trade and diplomacy, and is developing her ideas at school and pre-university courses as well as on international forums. Her ambition is to research the nexus of geopolitics, game theory and geography at university to develop applied skills in international relations and politics.

Hafsa S

Do we need to look at our past to see our future?

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift; that’s why we call it the present. This quote, joined with reflection and forward-thinking, act as the fundamental basis for Hafsa Saeed's talk. Hafsa’s interests consist of Drama, Music and Languages. Having performed in various productions and joined LAMDA, she is working towards her Grade 7 qualification. In singing, she has almost achieved her Grade 6 after completing her Grade 5 ABRSM exam with a distinction. More regularly, Hafsa enjoys performing with her pop band as lead singer and has sung in Spanish to further her linguistical knowledge. Hafsa is also a brown belt, kata competition winner in Karate and she loves journaling and writing.

Imogen A

The future of acting

Imogen has a passion for stories that started at an early age, and she could often be found late at night with a torch smuggled into her room, reading. Acting has become a way of channelling her love for stories and characters; it allows her to connect with their emotions and express her own. Imogen started LAMDA at a young age and will soon be taking her Grade 5 exam. She is looking forward to playing Romeo in the Year 8 production of Romeo and Juliet and takes part in drama classes outside of school. Imogen loves music, is Grade 6 flute and enjoys singing lessons. In her talk, Imogen aims to raise awareness about the lack of diversity and equality on screen.

Isabelle Z

Our computers of the future

What innovative new ideas will shape our future? This is what Isabelle is keen on exploring, particularly in the technology industry. Her favourite subjects include Maths and Computer Science, which she dreams of studying in future, and she hopes to help shape futuristic technological developments first-hand. Having completed hackathons and work experiences in technology sectors, her passion for researching and sharing revolutionary ideas, such as quantum computing, has never stopped growing.

Jennifer G

Our future is under water

Jennifer's outgoing personality lends itself well to her passion for the performing arts and public speaking. Through Stagecoach, which she attended for 10+ years, she has developed new skills and now uses her experience to assist with teaching the younger children. She also enjoys taking part in plays and has achieved Grade 8 LAMDA with Distinction. She is keen on enhancing her writing skills and so often writes articles for the school magazine and blog Unconquered Peaks and the Young Reporter scheme. In her spare time, Jennifer can be found at her local golf course both practising and taking part in competitions. Jennifer is interested in studying Maths, English, Economics or Philosophy at A level.

Lara K

Should arts education be neglected in favour of STEM?

Why is arts education neglected in favour of STEM? Is it that STEM is more employable... academic...relevant? Moreover, is this bias correct? Passionate about the Arts and STEM subjects, Lara has first-hand experience of both. Her interest in the arts, particularly music, has seen her achieve grade 8 in multiple instruments and participate in concerts around the country. As an enthusiastic STEM student, she enjoys inventing new products - winning prizes in prestigious science-based competitions such as Teentech and the Amazon Longitude Explorer Prize. In her TEDx talk, Lara hopes to divulge and debunk the discourse around STEM and Arts education: asserting that the arts are relevant to school curricula and worthy of respect.

Lauren H

Digital Twins: The Smart Future of Buildings

As the Internet of Things grows and buildings get smarter, we need to improve how we interact with them to make our lives and the world a better place. Lauren Huggett, a Year 11 student, has always been intrigued by this notion due to her natural curiosity for how things work. For A levels she is planning on studying Maths, Biology and her favourite subject, Design Technology, where creativity and practicality fuse together. Having recently won an international competition to design an education centre for COP26, Lauren realises the way we design and manage our buildings is a crucial lever for curbing climate change. Future skylines may well, we think, incorporate some of Lauren's creative designs.

Saavi P

Slum Safari

The Slum Safari sees millions of tourists treating people in their homes as animals in a zoo and this injustice needs to stop. Saavi is passionate about social issues, especially in her home country of India and addresses the ethical dilemma with fervour and rigour. As a part of her research about India’s rise as a superpower for her EPQ, she became fascinated by the ethical dilemma of slum tourism, and decided to rename this phenomenon: The Slum Safari. Saavi is currently studying biology, geography and history and hopes to read International Relations and history at university. Outside of her academic life, Saavi is training to become a pilot, spends her weekends performing Bollywood Dancing, is a keen cricketer and has achieved her grade 8 LAMDA.

Sharanya N

Our Shakespeare problem, and how to fix it

How do we address enduring inequalities? That is the key question that Sharanya, an academic scholar, has as her focus in her schoolwork, her co-curricular activities and her TEDx talk. Sharanya has a strong interest in creating change through education and dialogue. She is a keen member of Model United Nations and writes articles for the Young Reporter scheme about issues relevant to her community. Sharanya also has a passion for music and has performed both vocally and as a violinist across Europe. She speaks three languages and has travelled to more than a dozen countries. This has helped shape her perspective on issues such as women’s rights, development and inequality.