Idea Search TED Conferences

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Audition for TED2018!

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Olalekan Jeyifous speaks at TED Talent Search 2017 - Ideas Search, January 26, 2017, New York, NY. Photo: Anyssa Samari / TED

At last year’s TEDNYC Idea Search, artist Olalekan Jeyifous showed off his hyper-detailed and gloriously complex imaginary cities. See more of his work in this TED Gallery. Photo: Anyssa Samari / TED

Do you have an idea idea worth spreading? Do you want to speak on the TED2018 stage in Vancouver in April?

To find more new voices, TED is hosting an Idea Search at our office theater in New York City on January 24, 2018. Speakers who audition at this event might be chosen for the TED2018 stage or to become part of our digital archive on TED.com.

You’re invited to pitch your amazing idea to try out on the Idea Search stage in January. The theme of TED2018 is The Age of Amazement, so we are looking for ideas that connect to that theme — from all angles. Are you working on cutting-edge technology that the world needs to hear about? Are you making waves with your art or research? Are you a scientist with a new discovery or an inventor with a new vision? A performer with something spectacular to share? An incredible storyteller? Please apply to audition at our Idea Search.

Important dates:

The deadline to apply to the Idea Search is Friday, December 8, 2017, at noon Eastern.

The Idea Search event happens in New York City from the morning of January 23 through the morning of January 25, 2018. Rehearsals will take place on January 23, and the event happens in the evening of January 24.

TED2018 happens April 10–14, 2018, in Vancouver.

Don’t live in the New York City area? Don’t let that stop you from applying — we may be able to help get you here.

Here’s how to apply!

Sit down and think about what kind of talk you’d like to give, then script a one-minute preview of the talk.

Film yourself delivering the one-minute preview (here are some insider tips for making a great audition video).

Upload the film to Vimeo or YouTube, titled: “[Your name] TED2018 audition video: [name of your talk]” — so, for example: “Jane Smith TED2018 audition video: Why you should pay attention to roadside wildflowers

Then complete the entry form, paste your URL in, and hit Submit!

Curious to learn more?

Read about a few past Idea Search events: TEDNYC auditions in 2017, in 2014 and in 2013.

Watch talks from past Idea Search events that went viral on our digital archive on TED.com:

Christopher Emdin: Teach teachers how to create magic (more than 2 million views)
Sally Kohn: Let’s try emotional correctness (more than 2 million views)
Lux Narayan: What I learned from 2,000 obituaries (currently at 1.4 million views!)
Lara Setrakian: 3 ways to fix a broken news industry (just shy of a million views)
Todd Scott: An intergalactic guide to using a defibrillator (also juuust south of a million)

And here are just a few speakers who were discovered during past talent searches:

Ashton Applewhite: Let’s end ageism (1m views)
OluTimehin Adegbeye: Who belongs in a city? (a huge hit at TEDGlobal 2017)
Richard Turere: My invention that made peace with the lions (2m views)
Zak Ebrahim: I am the son of a terrorist. Here’s how I chose peace (4.7m views and a TED Book)