We’re all familiar with the various independently organized TEDx conferences held around the world, watching numerous videos that feature speakers who present “ideas worth spreading” at off-the-beaten-track places like a max security correctional facility or Antartica. But on Jul 15, we look to our own city to hear equally amazing ideas at the second edition of TEDxPickeringStreet. 

Held in ArtScience Museum, this TEDx event is a little special; in a sense that it’s a bilingual affair, with talks in both English and Mandarin. But this isn’t new—the first bilingual TEDx event took place two years ago on the US-Mexico border. The independent Singapore-based organizers strongly believe that all these inspirational ideas should transcend languages (fun fact: Pickering Street is right smack in the middle of Chinatown and the Raffles Place financial district, symbolizing the divide between east and west—thus the name).

This year’s edition will see 11 speakers, each presenting a distinct idea or perspective about this year’s theme on the different types of quotients and intelligence (IQ, EQ, etc.), and how they grow from individuals and members of society to become global citizens. Among them are founder of Cut The Small Talk and F*Up Nights, Angela Ognev, who’ll be discussing the topic of uncomfortable conversations; Erin Chen, founder of Singapore's top sexual wellness shop Lila Sutra, who will unravel what our love for food tells us about our sexualities; director of local community platform The Hidden Good, Wu Jie Zhen, with her throngs of videos and projects that redefine what community engagement and social impact looks like; and many others.

Also, in typical TEDx fashion, are the complementary fringe activities that will engage the senses, such as an art installation by TEDxAIR (or better known as Artist-In-Residence), headsets that provide translations (courtesy of SilentDisco Asia), grub by a local resto that puts a Singaporean touch on healthy salads and wraps, and more.

But here’s the bad news: tickets to the actual event are sold out. But you can still try your luck to walk-in on the day itself (in case there are any cancellations or no-shows) or catch the live-stream here. Alternatively, you can join the after-party where you can continue the conversation with the talk participants and speakers.

More info here.