In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

Check out more here: http://tedxtalks.ted.com

Excerpt “Jeff Smithson is a proponent of play. He blends clowning, creativity and compassion into performances and workshops that focus on physicality and fun. Jeff has appeared on a multitude of traditional and non-traditional stages. For 14 years, he worked with kids with chronic and life-threatening illnesses as part of The Big Apple Circus Clown Care program and Paul Newman’s The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp: Hospital Outreach Program. He has taught at the Alvin Ailey Dance Center and Circus Minimus in New York City. In 2011, Jeff founded Proponent of Play, a consulting company that creates safe atmospheres for people, often in serious circumstances, to experience mindfulness and movement. Workshops focus on the developmental power of play wherein communication and community can flourish.”