“TEDxSydney is the leading platform for the propagation of Australian ideas, creativity and innovation with regular events covering topics such as science, business, technology, art, design, entertainment, culture and much more.” TED
After three years being hosted by Carriageworks in Eveleigh, TEDxSydney, the annual Australian ideas festival, moved to the Sydney Opera House in 2013.
It was a new phase of development for the ideas-driven festival, with Alfred coming on board to curate and produce the program of events over subsequent years that would take TEDx Sydney to the next level, becoming one of the biggest TEDx festivals in the world and a leading platform for great storytelling, creativity and innovation.
The festival saw a complete venue takeover, a first for the Opera House at the time, with events held in the Concert Hall before a live audience of thousands, simulcast throughout the public areas of the Sydney Opera House and streamed live globally.
The overall approach was to curate each day by aligning speakers and talks with performances, taking the food and entertainment as seriously as the powerful, inspiring ideas being presented by speakers.
In 2013, food and beverage ‘curators’ were introduced to caretake the culinary aspect of the festival, bringing together food, drink and ideas – Sydney’s food doyenne Jill Dupleix and natural wine guru Mike Bennie – and a diverse, unique line-up of solo performers, artists and bands were selected to bring a lightness to the program.
What shone through in the years TedX was held at the Opera House (before moving onto its current home at the ICC) was that special sense of intimacy and the community vibe that the festival has long been known for.
