"Half a Yellow Sun" debuts at the London Film Festival

Just before you listened to Chimamanda Adichie speak at TEDxEuston 2012 (now has 140,000 views online and counting...) we showed a trailer of the Biyi Bandele's beautiful rendition of Adichie's book "Half a Yellow Sun" to the TEDxEuston community; for the first time in the UK! The film will debut at the London Film Festival and tickets will go on sale soon. There will be only 2 screenings - on the 19th and 20th of October.

The tickets will go on sale tomorrow, the 20th of September and will sell out in minutes - so set you calendar alarm and be the first to get your tickets HERE. 

Be ahead of the game with the things that matter the most to us in business, politics and the arts! Its your event! Register for TEDxEuston 2013... HERE.

Writer and director Biyi Bandele’s excellent feature debut is an epic love story set in Nigeria on the eve of the disastrous civil war of the late 1960s. Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose) are strikingly beautiful twins who live a middle-class, urban life in the newly independent nation. The women’s fractious relationship is typified by their very different choices of lovers, but their rivalries must be set aside as they become swept up in the turbulence of conflict. Bandele’s screenplay is an astute adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s highly acclaimed novel of the same name, bringing the source material’s main characters – Olanna, Kainene, university professor Odenigbo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), his 13-year-old houseboy Ugwu (John Boyega) and Kainene’s lover, Richard (an Englishman who has come to Nigeria to study the arts) to vibrant realisation. As chaos engulfs them, they are thrown together and violently torn apart in ways none had ever imagined. (culled from  the London Film Festival website, written by Keith Shirion)

"RIPPLE EFFECT" - The Video!

Watch the history and future of TEDxEuston in one powerful minute here! 

Details on how to register at www.tedxeuston.com

Upping the ante; another three amazing speakers for TEDxEuston 2013

This year, we are taking TEDxEuston to a whole new level altogether, you deserve nothing less. You have shown your support by walking the walk, as the tickets have literarily flown off the "shelf". For every new one sold, we take it as an extra incentive to deliver to you ...our best event yet. The heart and soul of your event are the speakers - and we have spent the last eight months looking for the best our continent has to offer. Find below three more amazing people shaping the future of our continent...

Register here!

Pascal Dozie the founder of Diamond Bank PLC, is currently the Chairman of MTN Nigeria, and a founding partner of Africa Capital Alliance, the first Nigerian private equity firm. He was previously a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He also served as the founding Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, and co-Chair of the Commonwealth Business Council. It is hard to find anyone that has had a greater impact on the evolution of corporate Nigeria in the past 30 years.

Teresa H. Clarke is the CEO of Africa.com, a company she founded in 2010 after resigning from her position as a managing director in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs & Co.  Africa.com is the fastest growing Africa related website, with over five million page views per month from visitors throughout the world. Africa.com showcases carefully selected news, travel and lifestyle information and is playing a key role in shaping how the world sees Africa.

Emeka Okafor was the co-curator of the first TEDGlobal to take place in Africa (Arusha, Tanzania) in 2007. At the time, he was one of the earliest bloggers on technology news coming out of the African continent. Emeka brought together the best the continent had to offer to one of the most inspirational events of our time, on the African continent. He lives and works in New York, and is currently the curator of a roving annual event; “Makerfaire” that brings together inventors from African countries every year.

First set of amazing speakers announced for TEDxEuston 2013

There is a famous verse in the Bible, where Jesus said to Thomas, his disciple -

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” – John 20:26-29

Thank you to all those that have registered for TEDxEuston 2013, with no clue about who our speakers will be this year! Thank you for believing in your event!

Choosing the speakers to offer the TEDxEuston stage is probably the most challenging and exciting aspect of putting the event together. It is a rigorous process as we try to find only the speakers that you will make a genuine connection with YOU. You are the only reason our speakers agree to give up their time, often over several days to make a long trip to London to share their stories for 18 minutes on the TEDxEuston stage.

Today - we offer you the first release of a mix of nine intriguing, powerful, eclectic speakers at TEDxEuston 2013!

There are a few tickets left for you. Grab yours today. when they are gone, they are gone! Register HERE! 

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala needs little introduction! She is currently Finance Minister of Nigeria, a position she has previously held before resigning from the Obasanjo administration. She also served as one of the managing Directors at the World Bank from  October 2007–July 2011.

Herman Mashaba was born in 1959, in apartheid South Africa. His academic dreams were ​shattered ​ when his university was shut down due to political unrests. In 1985 he started own hair care manufacturing business named “Black Like Me”, becoming one of the first successful black entrepreneurs of that era. Herman has recently launched his autobiography, “Black Like You”.

Fred Swaniker has lived and worked in 10 different African countries. He passionately believes that good leadership is the most critical need for the continent. He has founded two organizations that aim to catalyze a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial African leaders: African Leadership Academy and the African Leadership Network, both fulcrums of leadership training for the continent.

Nkwo Onwuka’s foray into the world of fashion all started with an obsession with dolls and a mother who taught her how to sew. Her label debuted at the prestigious Kulture2Couture, 2007. After a few years of exploration and experimentation, the brand has come full circle and now focuses on creating  collections that capture the African story with a 21st century slant.

Wanuri  Kahiu completed her first feature film in 2007 titled; “From A Whisper” based on the real life events surrounding the August 7, twin bombings of US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998. In 2009 she wrote and directed a short Science Fiction Film “Pumzi” that had its international premiere at Sundance Film Festival. Yes, you heard it right Science Fiction out of Africa.

Redi Tlhabi is currently the presenter of the Redi Tlhabi show on Talk Radio 702 listened to by millions of South Africans on their way to work every morning and host of South to North, an African current affairs show on Al-Jazeera. She has just published her first book; Endings and Beginnings, through which she makes the painful journey back to her death-marred childhood of Orlando East, Soweto in apartheid South Africa, a journey in which she eventually finds peace and allows her demons to rest.

Sada Mire is a ​Somalian archaeologist. She lived the first fifteen years of her life in Mogadishu, until 1991. She is founder and executive director of the Horn Heritage Organization and in the last five years, she and her team have made many archaeological discoveries, which feature in her numerous articles and chapters in international scientific publications.  Sada believes that cultural heritage is a basic human need.

Vuyiseka Dubula is General Secretary of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), based in South Africa. As a young woman she joined TAC after learning her HIV positive status. Founded in 1998, TAC advocates for increased access to treatment, care and support services for people living with HIV. Since 1998, TAC has held government accountable for health care service delivery; campaigned against official AIDS denialism; challenged the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies to make treatment more affordable and cultivated community leadership on HIV and AIDS.  

Register for TEDxEuston "RIPPLE EFFECT"

Remember the feeling? 

Remember the energy?

We're back!!! 

Registration opens for TEDxEuston holding on the 7th of December 2013, themed "RIPPLE EFFECT"

We bring you another line up of exciting and eclectic speakers and performances from all over the continent. Our speakers are pushing the boundaries, exploring new territory and re-defining normality, challenging conventional wisdom, influencing our world. These inspiring and amazing group of people will be unleashed on the TEDxEuston community at the same beautiful venue, on the 7th of December! It may be our best event yet! You will not want to miss this.

Don't wait! Get your ticket now.... 

HERE. 

Africa takes centre stage at Covent Garden!

Dear TEDxEuston Community,

The Africa Centre is holding the first ever “Africa Centre Summer Festival” and would like to spread the word to Friends and Supporters!

This exciting, 2-day event, curated by the acclaimed artist Yinka Shonibare MBE, will be held over the weekend of the 3rd/ 4th August 2013 in and around the Covent Garden Piazza.

Our hope is that the African community across the UK and beyond will come together to celebrate the best of Africa’s contemporary art, music and fashion, as well as the Africa Centre’s unique role in supporting African culture, enterprise and education in the UK.

Highlights of the festival include, a performance by Tunde Jegede, a catwalk show by Africa Fashion Week London and a live performance by headline act Nneka. This event is free to members of the public and the Africa Centre sincerely hopes that you will join us for a challenging, provocative African festival, reflecting the progressive modernism that has emerged post-independence.

The Africa Centre’s Summer Festival is expected to become one of the largest African gatherings in the UK and we would very much appreciate your contribution to its continuing success.

A unique celebration of Mandela's birthday by our friends at TEDxJohannesburg

It is difficult to imagine any one else's birthday that could have led to the celebration around the world last week, as was the case for Nelson Mandela. No doubt we live in extremely privileged times, to share a small part of his era. Our friends at TEDxJohannesburg, with whom we started the TED journey together in Arusha in 2007 were part of an amazing project; the "Mandela Poster Project", collecting 95 exceptional posters from around the world, honouring Madiba's lifelong contribution to humanity. In 60 days more than 700 posters were submitted by designers from more than 70 countries. The collection was curated and 95 posters (representing 95 years of Madiba's life) are being exhibited at the University of Pretoria, and other venues around the world and the posters will eventually be auctioned by the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust to raise funds. The collective echoes the sentiments of South Africa's beloved former president when he said;

"a good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."

One of the 95 posters by Aviwe Njokweni (South Africa)

With some of the TEDxJohannesburg team, Kelo and Thati

Thati Mokgoro in front of the exhibition

We hope we can bring the exhibition to TEDxEuston this year! If you are in the SA axis - don't miss TEDxJohannesburg holding on the 15th of August.

See all the amazing posters HERE.

Follow the Mandela Poster Project on Facebook HERE.

Read A CNN story on the Mandela Poster Project HERE.