The final group of speakers for this year's TEDxAuckland event.
They include celebrated musician and distinguished authority on Maori instruments, Richard Nunns; Professor in Design at AUT and outspoken critic of dehumanised systems of education, Welby Ings; freelance filmmaker and creator of 3D time-lapses of New Zealand landscapes and starscapes, Joseph Michael; founder and chief of collaborative website Wiki New Zealand, Lillian Grace; leading laser cos! metic dentist, international educator and bestselling author, Dr Hisham Abdalla; and New York-based corporate communications chairman and New Zealand storyteller, Brian Sweeney.
Double Academy Award winner Mark Sagar will be introducing Baby X at TEDxAuckland this year.
Dubbed "The future of Artificial Intelligence" the Baby X showcase at TEDxAuckland will be a unique opportunity for TEDx attendees to interact with the installation, and the first time Baby X has been seen anywhere in the world. The showcase installation is the result of collaboration between Augusto and Mark Sagar's laboratory for Animate technologies, with support from New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.
Renowned musician and TEDxAuckland speaker Richard Nunns will also be performing at the event. Throughout the morning Richard will perform collaborations with notable New Zealand acts Waimihi Hotere, the New Zealand String Quartet and King Kapisi, showcasing a lifetime of his iconic and varied work.
Up-and-coming New Zealand singer-songwriters Ash Graham and Joseph & Maia will join Richard as the day's featured entertainment.
With songs that show a maturity beyond his 18 years, Ash is tipped to become the next 'big thing' in New Zealand music, having already won numerous awards and supported a wide range of artists including I Am Giant and Shihad.
Joseph & Maia's sound is best described as classic folk and country though aspects of Joseph! 's background in pop and rock music creep into their work. Their EP Roll Up Your Sleeves was released in April and debuted at number 30 on the Official New Zealand Charts.
Event organiser Elliott Blade believes the high calibre of this year's speakers will impress attendees with their tales of innovation, success and passion, igniting conversation and further developing the relationship between New Zealanders and the TEDx platform.
Other speakers taking the stage at TEDxAuckland are Mayor of O! torohanga and motorcycle enthusiast Dale Williams; iconic New Zealand furniture and lighting designer, David Trubridge; poet, teaching artist and creative entrepreneur, Grace Taylor; former New Zealand Prime Minister and Administrator of the UNDP, Helen Clark; founder of depression charity Live More Awesome and author of A Bit Mental, Jimi Hunt; sustainability specialist and co-founder of ecostore, Malcolm Rands; local food advocate, social entrepreneur and founder of Ooooby, Pete Russell; highly awarded professor and director of the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland, Richard Faull; chef and award-winning author Robert Oliver; award-winning documentary director of Finding Mercy, Robyn Paterson; and educator, entrepreneur and founder of the Hika programs Sophie Tauwehe Tamati.
TEDxAuckland will take place on Saturday, 3 August in the Aotea Centre.
Tickets are now available for purchase from The Edge for $70-90 + booking fee.