Theme: United By Ideas

As communities worldwide navigate complex challenges, the need for collaboration has never been more evident. United By Ideas is more than a theme; it's a call to action, a reminder that although we may be separated by geography, we are connected by our shared human experience and the ideas that inspire change.

Join us in Lincoln at TEDxBrayford Pool 2024 for a unique collaboration with TEDxKyiv celebrating creativity, ingenuity, courage, wisdom and generosity.

University of Lincoln
Brayford Pool
Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN6 7TS
United Kingdom

Boondog Balladeers

Musicians, Storytellers

The Boondog Balladeers are a Lincoln-based folk band theatre company with a passion for unearthing stories and sharing them with the world. They aim to take audiences on playful and heartfelt journeys through enchanting songs and stories, reviving and adapting lesser-known folklore tales for modern-day audiences. Their ethos is to create theatre for families and young people that is accessible, fun, and emotionally engaging, crafting memorable, and often bespoke, experiences that place the power of storytelling at their core.

Connor Short

Young Carer, Advocate

Starting his developmental journey in Grimsby, Connor was a young carer for his mother from the age of six. This personal experience and its accompanying hardships sparked Connor’s passion for caring and gave him the drive to share the tips and tricks he developed to make both his and others' lives easier. Achieving what teachers said he couldn’t, Connor graduated from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in 2022 (while still working as a full-time carer). He then spent two years supporting students as the President of BGSU while working with young people in his spare time. He now works for BGU and ECHO Theatre supporting students and encouraging young carers to ignore their doubts and strive for success. Through his talks and workshops, Connor hopes to create more understanding around young carers and help others to strive towards their goals.

Daria Chyzhyk

Photographer, Disruptor

Daria Chyzhyk is a third-year BA Photography student at the University of Lincoln. As a freelance photographer, she hones her skills by studying the advertising industry and exploring the challenges of gender representation in everyday media. Daria spent six months in Germany as an Erasmus exchange student, where she studied Media Management and worked as a backstage photographer, further enriching her international experience. Before studying at Lincoln, she earned an online degree in Advertising and Public Relations from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in 2022.

Gabby Wright

Changemaker, Advocate

Gabby Wright is the Project Coordinator at The Network Lincoln, a charity supporting young people as they transition through early adulthood. Trained in counselling as well as information, advice and guidance, she’s been working with The Network since 2018 where she refocused the delivery to include person-centred careers advice, support and mentoring. The Network supports on average 200 young people minimum a year. In this work we have spotted common themes around systemic and intergenerational inequalities and injustices that fill Gabby with a quietly burning rage. In partnership with LocalMotion she is working to co-produce with the young people of Lincoln a research and systems change movement called Raising Young Voices, to level the playing field for young people who have been left disproportionately impacted by previous policy and funding decisions and ultimately create a new, equitable, intergenerational social contract for our younger generations.

Gracie Beadling

Photographer, Disruptor

Gracie Beadling is 3rd year BA Photography student at the University of Lincoln. She is a freelance photographer who also runs a Lincoln-based student magazine focusing on art, fashion and photography with interviews with giants of the world of arts from all over. Gracie specialises in historical photography, ranging from the 1880s to the 1950s, and she has done independent projects on advertising throughout Western history.

Iryna Muha

Musician, Singer

Iryna Muha is a Ukrainian-born singer, songwriter, and hurdy-gurdy player. She is the leader of MUHA band, a director of Ukrainian School Band, early music practitioner and a keen collaborator. Based in the UK, she works nationally and internationally, including previous appearances on BBC Radio 3, BBC radio 4 and performances at festivals like Eurovision Liverpool 2023, Latitude, including showcasing at the International Folk Alliance in USA. Iryna is also known for experimenting with digital music, natural sounds and multimedia.

Jack Shelbourn

Lecturer, Cinematographer

Jack Shelbourn, an Arri-certified Director of Photography and HEA-recognized Senior Lecturer, is a BAFTA albert-certified sustainable cinematography researcher and PhD student. Pursuing a PhD in sustainable cinematography at the University of Lincoln, where he is the programme lead for the BA Film Production programme, Jack's research explores ‘New Naturalism’—focusing on the environmental benefits of using natural, available, and reflected light in film. His work examines the creative possibilities within these lighting limitations. Previously, he led the BA (Hons) Film & Television Studies programme at Lincoln. His cinematography has earned awards, including Mind-Set (2022), which won Best UK Feature at the Manchester International Film Festival.

Jane Davydiuk

Fractional COO, Consultant

Jane Davydiuk is an operational expert with 9 years of experience in fast-paced startup environments. As a fractional COO, she has partnered with over 30 companies across various industries, guiding them through complex challenges and implementing innovative solutions. Her strategic insights have helped businesses achieve over £20 million in annual recurring revenue. Jane’s approach combines business education from Kyiv, Bremen and Vienna universities with hands-on experience in optimisations and automation, saving more than 5000 human hours for businesses. She has held operations specialist roles at ZAS Ventures and Acrobator Ventures, and mentored startups in accelerator programs such as Techstars and GrowthMentor. Jane focuses on data-driven decisions and managerial insights

Joseph Davidson

Philosopher, Physicist

Joseph Davidson is a Master’s student in Physics with Philosophy from the University of Lincoln. His area of expertise is metaphysics, with an emphasis on how physics and philosophy interact and how we may build a bridge between them that would be advantageous to both. In his bachelor’s dissertation, he attempted to answer questions on how various entities in 21st-century physics are understood in the context of classical frameworks of metaphysics like Descartes’ Substance Theory. Through this attempt, he found that philosophy has a vast and latent potential to disambiguate physics, particularly when it comes to its famously most abstract and unintuitive concepts, like wave-particle duality and quantum entanglement. In his bridging of physics and philosophy, he has twin aims: to shine a light on the utility of metaphysics and to improve the explanatory power of physics.

Mel Standbrook

Educator, Disruptor

Mel Standbrook is passionately dedicated to innovation, inclusivity and continuous improvement in Preventative Education. She advocates on the importance of a child’s voice and challenges the barriers that organisations face to deliver the right information at the right time. Mel has worked in Law Enforcement for 23 years and specialised in Sexual Violence and Youth Prevention designing and more recently leading a school’s curriculum of over 25 preventative workshops for over 10 years. She specialises in writing and delivering local and national products into educational settings around the county and has written national products alongside partners that have been delivered across the UK. More recently designing and launching an immersive, diversionary education centre to prevent young people from carrying a knife and being involved in Serious Violence. This centre concentrates on the journey and not the singular event.

Olga Ovcharuk

Professor, Anthropologist

Olga is a Professor at the Higher School of Art (Kyiv, Ukraine) and is currently a visiting Professor at Lincoln University. Here, she is studying the practical experience of the “Mobile Art for Peace” project. Using the results of the project and her own research on the history of Ukrainian culture, Olga tries to show the features of Ukrainian folk songs as a unique cultural phenomenon, because Ukrainian folk song is the expression of the history of the Ukrainian nation and an important tool of cultural diplomacy. Now, in the context of Russian armed aggression, Olga’s research shows that Ukrainian folk songs are gaining new meanings. In her research, Olga tries to reveal the therapeutic potential of Ukrainian songs and their capabilities in the process of psychological support, especially for children and youth.

Scott Coe

Poet, Artist

Scott is a poet and artist, and was the 2022 Stamford Poet Laureate. He started off not as a poet but a lyricist, citing the likes of Noel Gallagher, Lennon & McCartney, Bob Dylan, Guy Chambers, Billy Bragg and Neil Tennant as some of his primary influences. He has been involved with projects for two local charities; Stamford Diversity Group and MindSpace Stamford. At MindSpace he runs a monthly fun writing group called Playing With Words.

Selma Ari De Rossi

Actress, Writer, Educator

Selma Ari De Rossi is a Zimbabwean-born actress and writer. She has earned her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from the University of Lincoln. Her doctoral research explored the representations of Zimbabwean national identity through playwriting, exploring how British colonialism influenced Zimbabwean-based and diasporic playwrights. Passionate about reflecting on cultural narratives, Selma’s work delves into the complexities of identity and heritage. Currently, she is contributing a chapter to The Cambridge History of Black British Theatre and Performance, focusing on Zimbabwean playwrights in Britain. Her combined passions in acting, writing and research seamlessly blend scholarly research with creative artistry.

Stuart Clark

Coder, Educator

Stuart Clark, a coder, presenter, and author, advocates for software sustainability at the intersection of education and policy. Speaking at global conferences, he challenges audiences to code conscientiously and innovate intentionally. Stuart’s expertise in programmability and DevOps informs his approach to creating environmentally sustainable software. Beyond the stage, he builds developer communities and creates content, empowering others to thrive in tech while championing sustainable development practices.

Valerii Dzekh

Puppeteer, Soldier

For three years, Ukrainian soldiers have fought for freedom, and supporting their mental health is essential. Ukrainian Army Officer and art therapist Valerii Dzekh offers this support in combat, training, and rehabilitation areas. As part of the Cultural Forces Unit, he arranges art therapy and puppetry performances, conducting over a thousand events in six months. Before his service, Valerii focused on educating children in hospitals and orphanages. Since 2011, he and his wife have run the Small Marionette Theatre, creating 25 children’s shows and five for adults. Valerii studied puppet theatre acting at Kharkiv I.P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts and is a member of the NUTWU and UNIMA.

Yuliia Liubchenko

Artist, Creative Practitioner

Ukrainian artist Yuliia Liubchenko holds a Master of Fine Arts and has extensive experience in creative projects. She has dedicated her career to fostering creativity in both children and adults. Before the war, she was the project manager of a democratic school, focusing on developing children’s creativity. She has created collaborative artworks with children and other local Ukrainian artists. However, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 significantly impacted her work and the broader artistic community. Yuliia has closely observed the career growth of many artists over time and analysed the impact of the war on their creativity

Yuliia Lohvynenko

Biotechnologist, Regulatory Affairs Senior Manager

Yuliia Lohvynenko is a senior regulatory affairs specialist at a biotechnology company based in Lincoln, UK. She focuses on developing dossiers for bacteriophage-based technologies as novel antimicrobials to improve the welfare of both humans and animals and on researching development strategies. With a background in biotechnology, ecobiotechnology, genetic engineering, plant-based technology, pharmaceutical production, and veterinary product manufacturing, Yuliia has been working in international regulatory affairs since 2018. Her expertise spans multiple disciplines, ensuring the safe and effective implementation of cutting-edge biotechnological innovations. Yuliia’s work promotes environmentally sustainable and targeted therapies that enhance the health and well-being of both animals and humans.