My TEDxWarrington Speaker Journey: From Heritage to the Red Dot

Photo courtesy of TEDxWarrington.

When the opportunity to speak at TEDxWarrington first appeared, it immediately felt personal. Warrington is where I was born, where I grew up, and where I spent my early years figuring out who I wanted to be. To return now with an idea shaped by my life, my work, and the places that have inspired me felt like everything had come full circle.

This TEDxWarrington speaker journey means a great deal to me because it connects my personal story with the heritage of my hometown.

Roots, Resilience, and My TEDxWarrington Speaker Journey

Coming from a working-class background, I’ve known what it feels like to struggle and to start from very little. But I’ve also carried a strong belief in where hard work and curiosity can take you. It wasn’t a straightforward journey. It took years of studying, grafting, and building things from the ground up.

Along the way I’ve had the privilege of teaching within leading institutions, collaborating on immersive and creative technology projects across the world, and speaking in places I never imagined I would stand. Those experiences taught me something important: the power of an idea isn’t defined by where you begin, but by what you choose to create with it.

Navigating the TEDxWarrington Process

The TEDxWarrington application process is designed to help speakers shape ideas that genuinely serve the community. Each stage challenged me to clarify my message, strengthen my delivery, and refine what I wanted to share.

The feedback and encouragement along the way were invaluable. Whether applicants progress or not, the process makes one thing clear: TEDxWarrington exists to elevate local voices and spotlight ideas that matter.

When I found out I’d been selected, I felt a huge wave of gratitude. Not because the process is a competition, but because it represented an opportunity to stand on the red dot and share something meaningful with the town that shaped me.

Why Heritage Matters

My TEDx idea grew from years of exploring heritage across the UK and overseas. I’ve walked through ruined castles, ancient earthworks and sites of deep historical significance. What strikes me every time is how these places speak to us.

Heritage connects us in ways modern life often forgets. It grounds us. It helps us understand who came before us and how their stories still shape our communities today. And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that belonging isn’t something you buy or build: it’s something you feel.

The UK is filled with extraordinary places, many hidden in plain sight. When we pause, look around and listen to the stories beneath our feet, we begin to understand our towns differently. We begin to understand ourselves differently.

That sense of connection is what heritage means to me.

Looking Ahead

TEDxWarrington isn’t the end of anything, it’s the beginning of a new chapter. I’m already working on ways to help more people discover the heritage of Warrington and connect with the stories that live in our landscapes.

Beyond Warrington, I hope to support other communities across the UK to uncover and celebrate their hidden histories. Standing on the red dot reminded me that one idea, especially one rooted in belonging, can spark conversations, curiosity, and even a bit of hope.

And that’s worth sharing.

Read my official TEDxWarrington speaker profile here.

Watch the TEDxWarrington Talk

After months of preparation, refinement, and reflection, the talk is now live.

In this TEDxWarrington talk, I explore how heritage, place, and belonging shape who we are, and why reconnecting with the stories beneath our feet matters more than ever. Drawing on the Warrington Castle Project and my wider work in immersive heritage, the talk reflects on how forgotten histories can help communities rediscover meaning, identity, and connection.

This moment on the red dot wasn’t about performance. It was about sharing a story rooted in place, and inviting others to look at their own towns, landscapes, and histories with fresh eyes.

Watch the full talk below.

Recorded at TEDxWarrington, 2025.

After the Red Dot: Reflections on the TEDxWarrington Stage

After months of preparation, the moment finally arrived to share Warrington’s hidden heritage and bring the story of the lost castle back into the spotlight.

Getting Into the Groove

The day itself was full-on, final practices, guidance from my coach, and managing the usual mix of nerves and excitement. I’d done everything I could to set myself up well: good nutrition, plenty of hydration, and careful planning the day before. Sleep, however, escaped me. Whether it was nerves, adrenaline, or a full mind from months of work, I’m still not sure.

A full dress rehearsal in the afternoon helped steady me. Walking the stage, delivering a few lines, and feeling the lights made it real. As the hours passed, the weight of the six-month journey settled in, this was the moment everything had been building towards.

The Opening and Delivery

Before the event began, I found myself surprisingly relaxed. I greeted familiar faces, shared a few quiet moments with people who had come to support me, and tried to stay present. At 5pm, the event opened. I was scheduled 12th, just after the interval, which meant a long, patient wait.

Behind the curtain, in those final moments before stepping out, the nerves finally arrived. Even with the sound of my heart pounding in my ears, something shifted the second I walked onto the red dot.

The delivery flowed. No stumbles, no hesitations: just clarity, focus, and a connection with the audience that I could feel in the room. The months of work had paid off.

When the applause came, it was overwhelming. In that moment, I felt that Warrington Castle, and the deeper message about heritage, community, and identity, had truly landed with the audience.

What Comes Next

The talk has now been recorded and released by TEDxWarrington.

I’m grateful to the organisers, the speakers, the audience, and everyone who has supported this journey. The red dot was a milestone, not an ending. The work of reconnecting people with the stories beneath their feet continues.

A Final Reflection

Stepping off that stage, I realised something profound: this journey was never just about a talk. It was about bringing a forgotten piece of Warrington’s story back into view, and watching people recognise that it belongs to all of us. The red dot reminded me that heritage has the power to unite, to heal, and to spark pride in the places we think we already know. And this is only the beginning.

What I learned

• Belonging matters. When people connect with the history beneath their feet, something shifts, conversations become deeper and more human.

• Preparation is invisible. Months of work create a few minutes of clarity that the audience never sees, but they feel.

• Nerves are part of the process. They signal that the moment means something.

• Stories travel further than we expect. A field in Warrington can lead to a stage that reaches the world.

• Community is everything. The support from Warrington, the Castle Collective, and everyone following this journey, made the red dot feel less like a spotlight and more like a shared moment.

This talk reflects the thinking that underpins how we work as a studio today.

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