Friday 29th May marked the 2015 session of TEDxWhitehallWomen in London. The theme was ‘momentum’, and I went along expected to be motivated and inspired by a range of successful female (and male) speakers. I also knew I’d be laughing along the way, not least because our own Lynne was providing a talk of her own.
The event was at the Ambassadors Theatre, not far from Covent Garden. It’s the fixed venue for Stomp – more on that later. The hall is a lot cosier than I expected, and it lent a more familiar and friendly atmosphere to the place. I did however feel sorry for the poor bloke who kept reminding people not to leave their drinks on the ledge.
We were led by glamorous and highly capable host Hilary Carty, who introduced us to each inspiring speaker. I couldn’t fail to recognise Harriet Minter, one of our loved Funny Women friends, or Dr Linda Papadopoulos and Kathy Lette later in the day. The talks ranged from quips and giggles to serious, very personal topics that had many audience members reaching for the tissues.
Every so often, we stopped for live links from another TED event taking place in California. From slam poetry to appalling tales of daily life in Malawi, there was plenty of insight and things to share.
For a day named after and dedicated to women, some of the best and biggest surprises came from the men. Lord Holmes of Richmond didn’t specifically talk about women, but I doubt anybody remained unmoved by his clear commitment and dedication to promoting UK athletics. He even got a few laughs in of his own. And Carl Konadu’s story about the strong female influences in his life made us all wonder whether we can have more of an impact on our own families.
The day didn’t end with the talks – when you’re in Stomp’s theatre, you get Stomp. Heaven only knows we’d worn our hands out enough with applause during the sessions…
I fully expect TEDxWhitehallWomen to be back very soon. We’re also taking what we’ve learned from the event into a week dedicated to ‘Women, Humour and Power in the Workplace’, so watch this space as I’ll have more for you later.
