Next Friday is the day. That is when speakers in the fields of technology, economy and design will climb the stage at the Stadschouwburg Amsterdam to talk about their 'ideas worth spreading'. This year's theme is 'the perfect trifecta', because if there is anything magical according to founder Jim Stolze, it is the interaction between audience, speakers and performers.
What is striking about this sixth edition is the lack of Dutch 'crowd-pleasers', big names that give the annual speechevent such an exclusive glow. No Princess Mabel, Wubbo Ockels, Katja Schuurman or General van Uhm. Perhaps the only one who stands out from this year's line-up in terms of fame is Flemish psychiatrist Damiaan Denys, who last summer Summer Guest At the VPRO was.
Falling to its own success?
Just as the international movement TED, along with Prime Minister Obama, put the power of a good speech back on the map internationally, so was TedX Amsterdam the first exclusive TedX venue in the Netherlands. Many more TedX editions have since been organised, such as TedX Breda, TedX Nijmegen and TedX Maastricht. The wait is now, of course, for TedX Meppel. At least speakers simply have more choice.
Or transcended its own success?
But let's be honest, of course, fewer BN-ers does not necessarily make for a less interesting day. You could turn the reasoning around. TedX Amsterdam now has so much stature that it no longer needs crowd-pleasers and can programme much more content-oriented. Last year, for example, there was the stammering civil servant Ton van Oosterwaard who proposed a particularly simple and inspiring solution to air pollution in capital city.
Tissues at the ready
So what are the most promising talks for which you really need to take the livestream should turn on? Personally, I am curious about Zelda la Grange, a white, South African woman who was Mandela's personal assistant for 20 years from the moment he took office as president. A piece of history highlighted from a different angle. Also potentially interesting is professor Ad Vingerhoeds, talking about why only people cry, combined with photographer Maurice Mikkers, who is fascinated by tears in his own artistic way. Tears as the secret overarching theme of this edition?
Art in the spotlight
In any case, what TedX Amsterdam is good at is giving art, directly and indirectly, ample space. With speeches by Christien Meindertsma in 2010 to the troubled life story of prima ballerina Michaelle dePrince. This year, I look forward to the return to the Tedx stage of theatre-maker Lucas de Man and the success story of trumpeter Maite Hontelé, made world-famous in Colombia.
So besides the tears, there promises to be room for a happy note on Friday.
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