TEDxVictoria took to the stage at the historic McPherson Playhouse on May 15th in the heart of downtown Victoria.

It was a full-day event that hosted inspiring speakers, live performances, and community connections. As planning for TEDxVictoria 2025 gets underway, we wanted a moment to reflect and thank the many individuals who volunteered their time and efforts to make TEDxVictoria 2024 such a spectacular event.

The TEDxVictoria stage featured twelve speakers who shared their research, innovative ideas, personal stories, and transformative experiences. These talks were supported by a network of volunteers, partners, food service professionals, artists, playhouse staff, and organizers that made TEDxVictoria possible.

Reflecting on the theme

The theme, "It's up to us" brought Victoria and beyond together for inspiring conversations that challenge inaction and encourage change personally, globally, and locally to Victoria. Speakers weren't limited by the theme, so there was a wide range of conversations, out-of-the-box topics, and fresh perspectives that we can apply for ourselves as a community. 

"It's up to us' reminds people that we have more power than we think we do."

TJ Watt, TEDxVictoria 2024 Speaker

We are thrilled to say that this theme resulted in a diverse and educational range of contributions and thought-provoking moments.

A few highlights

The event opened with a welcome song from Songhees Nation, Lək̓ʷəŋən traditional dancers. We were honoured to have them involved in the event. The McPherson Playhouse is located on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen peoples, now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations so it was important to remember this as we came together.

The city came alive as attendees spilled out of McPherson Playhouse into Centennial Square. The square highlights included an interactive Moss Wall from VI Plant Shop, local artist Tanya Bub's sculpture created in collaboration with the street community in downtown Victoria, "Sitting with Grace," and a sustainable coffee collaboration between Climate Wave Coffee and the Nulla Project. This thoughtfully created a natural space to get fresh air and connect as a community. 

Our speakers had something to say

The speakers involved in this year's event ranged from artists, economists, explorers, emergency responders, authors, and far beyond. The sheer range of experiences and ideas that were brought to the table and gifted to us as a community was inspiring. A reflection on Mel & D’Ari's talk from @joynetix reads, "Incredibly inspiring and empowering story. Never too late to rewrite your own story [...] I will be turning 50 next year and have been rewriting my story."

If you are disappointed that you missed it or want a chance to rewatch now that you have had time to reflect, you can find the links to all the talks below.