Theme: Outstanding in their field- innovation, social and environmental changemakers.

SOLD OUT! Thank you all of you who attended the first ever TEDx Bridport. We were inspired by the speakers and the wonderful support of the audience. Seeing connections made at the networking event afterwards made the whole experience worthwhile.

TICKETS ON SALE 12 noon 13th September. Link here: https://www.bridport-arts.com/event/tedx-bridport/
Our speakers are individuals making a difference in their field. Whether working with communities, innovating farming, making impactful changes to the way we interact socially and more. We are looking for the cream of the crop to come and share their ideas with Bridport.

As TEDx Bridport’s first event we want to shine a spotlight on the innovating changemakers who are trying to make a difference to the way that we live our lives, whether locally or internationally.

Living rurally doesn’t mean that we are cut off from the rest of the world. It is a place to pause, to look at what is important and discover new ways of doing things.

Bridport has always felt like an outward looking community with local artists selling internationally and many of the town’s residents working from home for international clients and one of the town’s biggest employers making aviation equipment which flies all over the world.

What makes Bridport special is the way that the local community rallies for causes they feel passionate about. This isn’t to say that there aren’t issues, but there is much to be celebrated from a small rural town.

The team at TEDx Bridport hopes to uncover the voices that are quietly making big differences and share those ideas and innovations with you.

Arts Centre Bridport
9 South St
Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3NR
United Kingdom

Alison Lapper MBE

Artist, presenter and disability campaigner

My name is Alison Lapper - I am an artist, presenter and disability campaigner. I'm also a member of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. You may recognise me from the Alison Lapper Pregnant statue by my friend Marc Quinn, erected in Trafalgar Square in 2005. I know the power of art and how it can help you overcome anxiety, grief and get you out of some very dark times. I've experienced these dark times first hand with the tragic passing of my son Parys aged 19.

Anna Ledgard

End of life doula, teacher, producer and project manager

Anna Ledgard, producer, project manager, researcher, trainer and professional development leader, has many years of experience leading award-winning collaborative arts practice with hospitals, communities, schools and cultural organisations, most recently in NHS intensive care and end of life settings. As a producer her role was to facilitate the trusting relationships which enable deep artistic collaboration across disciplines. Anna is now a trainer with Living Well Dying Well training building understanding & confidence in planning for and talking about death and dying. She describes herself as an end of life doula or companion to the dying.

Jyoti Fernandes

Smallholder, Campaigns & Policy Coordinator for Via Campesina & Land Worker’s Alliance

Jyoti is the Chair person and Campaigns Coordinator of Via Campesina & Land Worker’s Alliance. She campaigns to represent small-scale producers around Europe in the European and Global agricultural institutions including speaking at COP26 in Glasgow and campaigning to influence DEFRA to adopt more policies to promote food sovereignty. Jyoti is also a Dorset smallholder farmer on a 20 acre low impact holding with Jersey cows, goats, pigs, vegetables and apple juice, cider cheese, and other processed products in West Dorset. She is passionate about changing the food rights of farmers worldwide and how this can have a positive effect on climate change.

Matt Smith

Founding director and chief waffler

Matt is a founding director of the Community Waffle House, Axminster. The co-founders are on a mission to fight loneliness and unwantedness by equipping communities with the opportunities, motives and skills to more naturally adventurous conversations.

Nick Goldsmith

Charity founder

Nick has spent the last 30 years producing music video, TV commercials and a couple of feature films; The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Son of Rambow. Nick studied graphic design at Central St Martins School of Art and has taught part time on the MA screenwriting course. The idea for setting up a charity called Bank Of Dreams And Nightmares, came to him whilst visiting San Francisco and stumbling upon the creative writing workshop started by Dave Eggers called Valencia 826. After buying an eyepatch from the Pirate store the decision was made and it was soon clear that running a film set, is not that far off from working with children and in fact, on the whole the children are much better behaved!