TEDx comes back to Brighton

TEDxBrighton 2025 aimed to inspire and enlighten audiences with thought-provoking talks and performances – and it did just that!

TEDx Brighton, the renowned platform for ideas worth spreading, captivated audiences on April 5 at the Brighton Dome.

With over 1,300 attendees throughout the day, the event featured more 15 speakers and performers who delved into diverse topics ranging from activism and the moon to space, as well as well-being.

Among the standout speakers were Daniel Wilsher. Danny is one of the youngest mental health speakers in the UK and is the founder of Damaged Goods, an organisation formed to raise awareness around mental health and the effects of childhood trauma.

AFLO. the poet is a Brighton-based spoken word artist, activist and academic who embraces creative expression to disrupt the status quo and inspire social change. AFLO. uses poetry as a vehicle to address hard-hitting topics, particularly racism and mental health, primarily speaking from her lived experiences.

Guest host was Kaia Allen-Bevan. Since 2019 (aged 16), Kaia has been a racial justice and anti-racism advocate, striving for change daily – no matter how big, small, or visible these changes may be.

Her TedX Talk and subsequent features in both Forbes and Business Today, have seen her recognised as a public speaker who is making a global impact.

Kaia is also the engagement lead at Watch This Sp_ce, a multi-award-winning diversity and inclusion company, helping businesses in all sectors on their inclusion journey – most recently winning Brighton girl of the year 2025.

Reflecting on the event, Toby Moore, the curator and director of TEDxBrighton, expressed his delight, stating:

“I’m feeling incredibly proud of everything our team and speakers have achieved this year.

“We set out to create a story and theme that would bring the idea of hope to life — but also challenge the audience to recognise their own power, to take pride in it, and to understand their role in creating real change.

“I definitely felt that energy in the room this year. The Brighton Dome was full of positivity, joy, support, and a shared readiness to work on something meaningful.”

Toby added: “TEDx is a truly unique event. It’s not a conference, and it’s not theatre — it sits beautifully in between. That’s what allows it to forge such a powerful relationship between speaker and audience. It creates moments that stay with you, memories that no other event quite can.

“I really hope that, this year, we succeeded in creating many magical memories.”

Photographer – Sam Shaw