Arts contributor Chris Berry caught up with Stephanie Busari, Founder of TEDxBrixton. Stephanie has been a resident of the Acre Lane area of Brixton for the vast majority of her life. Within the past couple of years, she decided it was high time for Brixton to host its very first TEDx conference.
Do most of the speakers have a connection with Brixton in some way?
Above all the aim was to have conversation about the ideas coming out of the area, to bring creative and innovative minds together, and hope that collaborations can come about through that. We wanted to use the change happening in Brixton as a backdrop to the conversations. In a nice coincidence though, most of the speakers do have a connection with the area in some way – which is great – it’s really about having a local, national and international conversation.
Funnily enough, we were keen to get Robert Greene involved because we love his books and knew he’d be an amazing speaker. We thought, let’s give it a try and have a chat with him about it – not really holding our breath. As it turned out, he said ‘yes’ pretty much immediately, and I think that was partly to do with the connection he had to Brixton, through living in the area in the eighties.
How does it feel to be bringing the very first TEDx event to SW9?
As a team, it’s a legacy we can all be very proud of – especially for me as a long term resident. Also speaking of the team, having brought together such a wonderful bunch of committed people, who work completely voluntarily around their full-time jobs and busy schedules – it’s been such an honour.
Lambeth Council have also been very helpful – as the first TEDx conference held in the borough, they really do believe in what we’re doing. I’m also pleased to say that in January we secured money from their innovation fund to help us stage the event.
What made you choose the Evelyn Grace Academy as a venue?
Well, we looked at various venues in Brixton, and then I was walking down Shakespeare Road one day and was struck by this space-age looking building – seemingly just plonked in the middle of Brixton! It seemed like such a TED-like venue and luckily enough, the school administration agreed and were completely on board right from the start.
Why did you want to host the TEDx in Brixton?
One key reason for hosting it is to put Brixton on the world stage, and to confound the most common stereotypes about the area. Our biggest problem was picking the speakers as we were inundated with requests. There are so many excellent community projects in Brixton that we’ve decided to create a quick spotlight session on these projects called the Big Idea. Amongst others, we’ll be inviting Solomon Smith, from the Brixton Soup Kitchen, to give our 500-strong audience a short summary of what his organisation is about and what they’re up to.
On that note, the community really has been at the heart of this, which is why we’re carrying out a food drive. In addition to Solomon’s organisation, we’re also partnering with Norwood and Brixton Foodbank, and we are asking our guests to bring along as many items of non-perishable food as they can carry for the food banks.
This is because whilst we recognise that Brixton is both thriving and increasingly affluent, there are people who are still struggling on the margins, so we’re keen to ensure we do what we can to address those issues. In our own small way, we’re hoping this is just one way in which we can give back.
That’s great to hear – I don’t think I’ve heard of a TEDx event carrying out a food drive before?
Well TEDx is all about offering the ability and the platform to design an event in the way that you see fit, and as long as you comply with their rules and adhere to their guidelines, TED as an organisation is very hands off, and organisers are free to run the event in their own way. Each TEDx is actually very different across the UK, and some of the best ones I’ve been to are TEDxNewham, which happened in May, and also TEDxEuston. It helps that we all know each other, and TED supports us all.
And finally, a blog post on your website saw someone describe Brixton as ‘a loveable rascal’ – how would you describe Brixton in a sentence?
It has a fantastic fighting spirit!
Thanks very much to Stephanie for her time – talks from each speaker at TEDxBrixton will be available to view online from the TEDx YouTube channel a few weeks after the event. In the meantime, have a look at their blog, where you can find out more about the inspiration that has gone into organising the event.
*TEDxBrixton will be taking place next weekend on the 13th of July – not the 16th as previously listed in the Brixton Bugle*
