Youngsters take centre stage at latest TEDxAberdeen event

Robert Gordon University, onboard as strategic partners, organised pupils from Aberdeen City schools who are passionate about ideas to be involved in the running and immersive experience of a TEDx programme.

Dubbed Young Ambassadors and there to help foster meaningful connections with and between young people of Aberdeen, the group of nine included pupils from Bucksburn Academy, Cults Academy, St Machar Academy and Aberdeen Grammar School.

The Young Ambassadors were encouraged to record their experience, enabled through media equipment from RGU’s School of Creative and Cultural Business, to capture behind the scenes footage and share what all goes on in and around the famous red dot.

As well as completing a specific TEDx Challenge on stage, they were also on hand to interview the speakers and gain an insight into the mind of both presenter and interviewer.

Jo Royle, Dean of the School of Creative and Cultural Business at RGU, said: “TEDxAberdeen was a fantastic event and we were delighted to be involved as strategic partners. Robert Gordon University is committed to collaborative initiatives in the city and we hope that the youngsters from each of the four schools involved found it both enjoyable and rewarding.”

Louisa Benson, sixth year student at Cults Academy, said: “This has been a really great opportunity. I had no idea that such an event would be held in Aberdeen and I’ve loved seeing the increasing cultivation of cultural events across the city, like TEDxAberdeen.

“Acting as a Young Ambassador has been a great way for me to gain some media experience, especially as I plan on working in the sector.”

Anne Bell, Depute Head Teacher at Aberdeen Grammar School, said: “We are delighted to have been invited to be part of TEDxAberdeen. It is such an exciting opportunity for the Young Ambassadors to experience the talks first hand whilst gaining an insight into the organisation and impact of the invent.”

Moray Barber, TEDx licensee, added: “The Young Ambassadors added an exciting extra layer to this year’s TEDxAberdeen event and it’s been great to collaborate locally with RGU and the four schools to offer them this experience.”

2022’s edition of TEDxAberdeen was another successful event with ten speakers providing a range of inspiring and thought-provoking talks on the general theme of ‘movement’.

Presenters included Professor Zoe Morrison, Academic Strategic Lead for Research in Aberdeen Business School at RGU, who powerfully tackled the myths around change and promoted the potential positive impacts that could arise if people altered their mindset to embrace it.

There was further RGU connections too with former Startup Accelerator participant Katie Forbes presenting a talk entitled ‘Autism is a difference, not a disorder’.