TEDxEastgate Street

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Alex Beeching

  Advertising copywriter/Public speaking coach

  Former London advertising copywriter, Alex has worked on campaigns for Warner Bros, The Times and Waterstones. He is now a communication coach and best-selling author is presenting the exploration in the power of identity, language, and the space between definitions, how meaning often lives in what connects us rather than what separates us. Alex Beeching presents TED TALK: Boom, Boom, Bang: The Power of the Hyphen — a thought-provoking look at identity, language, and the connections hidden between labels.

• Amy Heywood

  Film Producer/Actor

  Amy Heywood presents TED TALK: The Life and Death of Community Theatre — why community theatre matters, what happens when it disappears, and what it teaches us about belonging. Amy started in youth theatre from the age of 9 years old and has been part of multiple theatre companies around Gloucestershire. Since leaving school, she has been involved in local community theatre, being in plays such as “The Young, The Bold, and The Murdered” and “The Farndale Murder Mystery” with the Gloucester Crown Players; and Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” with the Playhouse Company. She took a break during university to study filmmaking, where she specialised in producing, and realised her love of live events. From then on, she has curated, coordinated, and supported events across Gloucestershire. Her interest is in immersive experiences and storytelling, mixing her love of performance with her multimedia background.

• Caroline Jaine

  Author/Founder

  Caroline Jaine - also known as “The Resilience Guide” - is based in Gloucester in the UK. An author and former Diplomat who has served overseas in some tough assignments, she is the founder of “The Resilience Academy” and is also a Root Cause Therapist. She is passionate about empowering people to be free of trauma, negative experience, and repeated unwanted behaviour, and helping them to rewrite their own stories. She does this through therapy and healing, but has also created amazing online self-directed programs that “dig deep” into self development. Caroline Jaine presents TED TALK: Gloucester: Beyond the Darkest Chapter — a powerful story of resilience, healing, and the possibility of rewriting our narratives.

• Christina Pulton

  Community Organisation Development Specialist

  Christina Pulton presents TED TALK: How to Build a City with Sticky Notes — what community-led change can teach us about creating stronger, more connected places. Christina has been working in the nonprofit sector since Linkin Park were topping the charts. She enjoys the things that other people find boring, like policies and spreadsheets, and so focuses on jargon-busting and demystifying stuff to help people run their organisations. Christina works with charities and community groups to make their work easier to manage and fund and has trained 1500+ people in fundraising, organisation set up and building organisations that are run by and for the community. The people she loves to support are working on tiny budgets, and accomplishing amazing things through sheer determination to change the world. Wherever possible Christina likes to do her bit to smash the system. Outside of work she is a board member for an equalities campaign and an adoption peer support volunteer.

• Demitri Alvanis

  Content Creator/Founder

  Demetri (Demi) Alvanis, founder of StrengthFlow and The Calisthenics Academy, is a 22-year old calisthenics athlete & coach born and raised in London. Having started the sport at 14 years old, Demetri spent 4 years competing, where he won a number of international titles and became the UK Vice National Champion in 2020. Demetri furthered the sport on a national scale and became a prolific figure in the UK Calisthenics world. Now focused on building StrengthFlow, Demetri is using his community-centred approach to bring calisthenics into the wellness space, as the primary mode of strength training that promotes sustainability and longevity. Demitri Alvanis presents TED TALK: “Calisthenics”: The exercise that changes lives — a fresh perspective on calisthenics, community, and redefining strength for a healthier future.

• Ian Evans

  Producer

  Ian Evans presents TED TALK: Gloucester Stinks — an exploration of memory, identity, and the forgotten stories carried through smell. Ian Evans is the self-declared smelliest person in Gloucester. After a career that took him from flying fast-jet fighters to managing major projects across industries and continents, he now moves more slowly, through the erased sensory history of working communities. Ian is the originator of the Nose Witness methodology: a community practice for recovering smell-memories before they vanish, capturing shared experiences and building understanding across generations and cultures. He believes heritage has long been designed for the dominant senses of sight and sound, while the people defined by smell have been systematically forgotten. His work asks a simple, radical question: what happens when we design from smell first? A graduate of the Arts Council's Future Producers programme, Ian will deliver his TEDx talk in the city he calls home - Gloucester.

• Jemma Skidmore

  Illustrator/Author

  Illustrator and author whose clients include BBC, Netflix, AppleTV, and major publishers. Jemma Skidmore presents TED TALK: How unremarkable artists can re-imagine arts funding — rethinking creativity, recognition, and who gets to be seen in the creative industries. Challenging how creativity is valued and redefining what it means to be seen in the creative industries.

• Khadija Dilnawaz

  Filmmaker/Singer

  Khadija Dilnawaz presents TED TALK: The power plant you can grow at home — an inspiring exploration of innovation, sustainability, and the future of drinkable water. Khadija Dilnawaz is a Filmmaker, Singer and Storyteller currently studying Film Production at the University of Gloucestershire. Born in Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents and raised in England, her perspective is shaped by multiple cultures, Alongside filmmaking, Khadija is a multilingual vocalist, musician and songwriter who blends music and visual storytelling to create emotionally immersive experiences. Her research on sustainable blue-green infrastructure and innovative energy source inventions have received national and regional awards. Passionate about creativity, science and social change, Khadija is particularly interested in experimental cinema and interactive narratives that challenge audiences to rethink how stories are told.

• Sarah Taylor Phillips

  Founder, Workforce strategist

  Sarah Taylor Phillips is the Gloucestershire-based founder of Career Voyage and creator of VoyAGEing, a “Later Greater LIFEING” framework that helps people design longer, more fulfilling lives centred around health, wealth, purpose and contribution. Sarah cares deeply about how work and lifeing shape identity, confidence and community and about challenging the quiet ageism that sidelines people long before they stop contributing. In her mid-30s, she co-founded a multi-million-pound interim start-up in the Forest of Dean, shifting age-based assumptions. Since then, she has worked across marketing, talent strategy and workforce design, helping organisations unlock overlooked talent through flexible models such as micro-workshops, job-share and fractional roles. Sarah Taylor Phillips presents TED TALK: Later Greater Lifeing: The Diamond Decade — a new vision for ageing that celebrates purpose, contribution, and possibility.

• Tyler Attwood

  Dancer/Entrepreneur

  Gloucester-born Tyler, inspired by his uncles, transitioned from B-boying to diverse styles like Popping. After graduating from YDA Urban in Swindon, he earned a BPA (Hons) in contemporary dance from the Northern School for Contemporary Dance in 2017. Tyler, a seasoned performer with credits including Breakin' Convention's "Back to the Lab" and venues like the O2 Arena, has graced stages across England. Tyler founded Your Next Move in 2015, transforming youth aspirations in Gloucester through Hip Hop. Tyler Attwood presents TED TALK: Why We Need to Rethink Selfishness — challenging what we think selfishness means and why putting yourself first can benefit everyone.

• Viva O’flynn

  Civic Leader

  Viva O’Flynn presents TED TALK: The Making of a Mock Mayor — a personal journey through community leadership, representation, and civic pride. Viva O’Flynn is a passionate advocate for community empowerment, cultural representation, and inclusive local growth. She is employed by Gloucester City Council as part of the City Growth and Delivery Team, where she contributes to initiatives that support regeneration, local enterprise, and sustainable development across the city. Alongside her professional role, Viva is dedicated to strengthening community connections and celebrating cultural diversity. She serves as Secretary of the Filipino Association of Gloucestershire, helping to promote Filipino heritage while building bridges across communities. In 2025–2026, she serves as the Mock Mayor. Viva believes thriving communities are built when people feel seen, valued, and empowered to shape the future of the place they call home.