MIND THE GAP – BUILDING BRIDGES

Tonia Daley-Campbell is a proud Wolverhampton actress, writer, director, producer, community activist and presenter. As a mother of 4 and a foster carer, she’s not shy of hard work.

Tonia runs her own drama group ACTS and is also the young children’s agent at Red Talent Management. Tonia is always very committed to finding and supporting hidden talent.

Currently Tonia is producing a  brand new Birmingham/West Midlands based TV series “Lucid The Dreamwalker” a psychological thriller and story of discovery, which will be featured at this years MCM comic con Birmingham NEC. Tonia sold out her local theatre Newhampton Arts Centre with her one act play “Dr King The Aftermath”, which was also featured on BBC news for black history month. Tonia has published her first book “39 steps to 40” and recently won 2 x awards at the Enter Stage Write competion, which saw her short play Truth performed in front of industry professionals from BBC, Channel 4, writers Guild, and ITV.

She has recently opened up a brand new TV, Film and Theatre production company called Themis Creative limited with Business partner and friend Oraine Johnson. Tonia is well known for her infectious laugh.

Jumprov is The UK First Ethnically Diverse Improvisational Theatre Company founded by Sunny Dhap starring Jade Samuels, Adaya Henry, Chantal Erraoui, Jay Droch & Rheo Daley, bringing you unscripted & unrehearsed comedy sketches made up with audience suggestions.

They have been opening act for the Birmingham Improv festival two years on the trot, have performed alongside comedians like Guz Khan and Aurie styla at comedy events, have had their own shows at the Birmingham REP theatre and are resident Improv group for all Midlands shows for Triforce promotions monologue slams (Birmingham REP and Coventry Belgrade).

Jumprov are bridging the gap between ethnic communities, women and improvisation, a very ‘white’ and male led art form.

Hailing from a musical background, Tanya had her debut at the age of three, singing with her dad on stage.

Growing up with music, surrounded by a father who pioneered Bhangra in Britain and a Jazz loving mother, this evidently impacted her and formed the eclectic sound she has today.

Tanya embraced music, learnt guitar and was harmonising to everything she heard at ten. In her teens, she began singing in church, influencing her musicianship greatly.

Tanya now sings a variety of genres and as a professional singer, performs music from the 1940s to modern day chart music in various settings.

For more info, go to @tannybluemusic.

Megan Reece is a Wolverhampton-born Singer, songwriter and artist.

Her musical education began when her father introduced her to performers like Ray Charles and Nina Simone at a tender age, and Megan developed a strong passion for blues, soul and jazz and is self-taught on piano and ukulele.

Her Heath Park High School years saw her develop song-writing, and she was largely encouraged by her music teacher, Alan Asbridge, who helped her compose, and facilitated her early performances.

She attended Birmingham’s Access to Music college in 2006, and since passing the Vocal Artist course with distinction, her career has gone from strength to strength.

Megan has had the privilege of performing at some beautiful venues in her midst, such as Wolverhampton’s Civic and Wulfrun Halls, Bilston’s Robin 2, Birmingham’s Symphony and Town Halls, the NIA and the NEC.  Megan most notably appeared on TV’s The Voice in 2016, joining team Paloma Faith.

Megan is also a mother of five children, a columnist for the Express and Star, an ambassador for domestic abuse charities The Haven and S.O.D.A and she is well known for her portrait paintings and realism artworks as well as her musical endeavours.

She is accompanied by the enormously talented acoustic guitarist, Ben Bartlett for their set at this event, and the pair can be found performing regularly around venues in the Midlands and beyond.

Ben Bartlett has toured extensively as a session guitarist throughout the UK & Europe, also appearing on BBC Radio, Kerrang! TV and MTV2.

VITAL is a Music Artist Born and influenced by his Wolverhampton and Jamaican roots. In 2016, he released his E.P entitled “POWERS” that hit the iTunes Hip Hop top 20 charts. Engineering and creatively directing his own music and videos has birthed much online and public success with approximately 2,000,000 Youtube views.

He has been featured on Channel AKA and appeared on MADEinBrum and BBC1’s Midlands Today and received consistent support and radio play from the likes of BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and WM.

Performing on over 200 stages including MADE Birmingham 2016 and BBC Radio 1’s BIG WEEKEND, Vital has appeared alongside artists such as: Lotto Boyzz, JayKae, Dapz, Lethal B, Big Narstie, Dappy, Tinie Tempah, Bashy, Mz Bratt & Marcus Nasty, J Hus and many more.

Vital’s latest project, #Clean Hearts Only was released in 2017 followed by his headline showcase Clean Hearts Only in 2018.

Jaivant Patel is an award-winning independent dance artist, cultural producer, choreographer and creative consultant. He is artistic director of Jaivant Patel Dance making work that ‘challenges the complexities of inherited notions, perceptions and stereotypes surrounding British-Asian identity.’ South Asian dance forms, aesthetics and principles inform/influence the creation of contemporary work targeted at diverse audiences.

In 2019 Jaivant will be touring YAATRA, a bill of kathak and contemporary dance, championing the rich possibilities of work rooted in South Asian LGBTQ+ narratives.

Jaivant is Associate Artist at Arena Theatre and Midlands Arts Centre and a member of the board of directors for Dance4. He is also an Independent Artistic & Quality Assessor for Arts Council England and member of One Dance UK.

Ellisse is a talented young singer and performer, hailing from a family of creative and musical individuals; where she is the youngest of 9 siblings. From the age of 5 Ellisse has been acting on stage and it was while performing in Hats Off the Musical that she realised the stage is where she wants to be and where she feels most at home.

Inspired by empowering black females, such as Jennifer Hudson, Ellisse recognises the value of hard work, overcoming barriers and pure determination to achieve her dreams. In the next 5 years Ellisse aims to be performing alongside Colours and Tiny Desk. She is confident in her abilities and with her moto being ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ we’re confident she’ll achieve all her goals and dreams. Ellisse is definitely one to watch!!

CURATOR

A born and bred Wulfrunian Clare is passionate about Wolverhampton and promoting everything the city and its residents has to offer. A bid and tender writer by profession, for the past 12 years Clare has been a Magistrate in the Black Country on the Black Country Bench.

Passionate about promoting women’s rights and gender equality, Clare is the founder of Fawcett West Midlands, a long standing director of Women of Wolverhampton, Founder and Chair of the Homeless Period – Wolverhampton, and was Chair of Wolverhampton Women’s Business Forum for a number of years.

In 2018, Clare applied for and was granted the licence for TEDxWolverhampton, with the aim of putting Wolverhampton on the map. As event Curator, Clare is responsible for bringing TEDxWolverhampton to life and ensuring attendees have a fantastic experience.

@cecroberts

EVENT DIRECTOR

Saffi Price is currently DCEO of Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council. As part of this role, she co-curates Wolverhampton for Everyone, which is a platform and social lab with a mission to ‘Connect people, places and communities to unlock potential and create positive change’. TEDx Wolverhampton is one of the many great ideas brought forward that Saffi and the team are supporting. Saffi lives in Wolverhampton and loves working with people to help make the most of this fantastic City.

@sprice / @WtonforEverone

WEBSITE & TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

A digital doer and community activist, a believer in tech for good, James likes to mix these interests whenever possible. When he heard talk of a TEDxWolverhampton, he immediately knew this was something he’d like to be involved in. His favourite TED talks include Sir Ken Robinson’s ‘Do Schools Kill Creativity?’ and Amanda Palmer’s ‘The Art of Asking’.

The opportunity to be involved in bringing TEDx to Wolverhampton, a place James has called home for 13 years and somewhere he loves, but feels suffers from a perception problem was too good to turn down. Building the website & dealing with anything tech related on the day seemed like an obvious use of his skills.

@jamesdclarke

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Zoe Mason is proud to be an advocate of her home town of Wolverhampton!  Currently working at the University of Wolverhampton, she supports and develops community, school and public engagement within Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education. Zoe is also a social historian for the area, and takes pride in researching the histories of Wolverhampton and the Black Countries past residents. Looking at Wolverhampton and the Black Countries past, alongside developing and inspiring the next generations into STEM careers creates an extensive timeline for research, and thoroughly supports her passion to support and develop a sustainable and unlock a strengthened industrial future for its residents.

When she heard TEDx was coming to her home town, how could she not be involved!

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Kristina is working for the leading diabetes charity in the UK – Diabetes UK, being part of the bigger picture: a world where diabetes can do no harm. Since taking part in the ERASMUS+ student exchange project at the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Alicante, Kristina has been collecting languages and now has 6 languages in her pocket. One of them is digital marketing, innovation and transformation. Over 5 years she has been encouraging local businesses to put digital at the heart of their business strategy, #buildingbridges across data, people and businesses.

@DigitalFramed

TEDX ADVISOR

Thom is a TEDx veteran having helped run TEDxBrum and TEDxSkoll since 2013. Thom mixes a freelance career in photography and videography alongside working on various projects throughout the West Midlands including Impact Hub Birmingham, CoLab Dudley and his own project, FutureJobcentre, a movement to create a better Jobcentre for the customers who use it, the employees who work in it, the third parties who work with it and it and the public at large.

Thom has seen first hand the positive impact that TEDx events can have on team members, attendees and the local community and therefore is excited to help finally bring a TEDx event to his hometown.

@thombartley

CHAMPIONS COORDINATOR

A self-help junkie addicted to podcasts, innovative talks and of course TED discussions. Knowing that Wolverhampton, his adopted home town, is hosting a TEDx event, Ewen could not pass on this opportunity to get involved. “This is an incredible opportunity for Wolverhampton and it’s a privilege to be part of the team making it happen.”

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Josie Hadley is a leading authority on social media having worked in this exciting area of marketing for over seven years.  She launched her business – OMG!, Online Marketing Growth Limited –  in 2015 and is passionate about social media. By personally managing a wide portfolio of accounts, she has daily contact with each platform.

As a fully accredited trainer, Josie not only has the knowledge of social media, but also the skills and qualifications to share this with others.

She has two boys (one called Ted!) who she is very proud of and a weimaraner called Otis.

www.omgonline.co.uk