The Bright Ideas Gathering

You may remember Anthony from his time on hit reality TV series Big Brother, which he won in 2005, but Durham born and based Anthony has achieved so much since then!

Having focused on the wellbeing and hospitality industries with his business ventures in the city, Anthony is also now the founder and driving force behind ‘Never Throw in the Towel’, a project around su***de and mental health for men, shaped with his own resilience mindset which has seen him through his own dark days.

It is this work that he will be bringing to the event as our final speaker of the day, sharing his own struggles since the highs of Big Brother fame and his mission to break the stigma around su***de and mental health to help men thrive.

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We’ve been thinking about ‘smart homes’ arguably since 1896 when Nikola Tesla invented the remote control. And yet today things haven’t really changed much outside of a relative handful of homes now equipped with Ring-style video doorbells.

Our next speaker Tez Errington wants to show us that the potential for smart tech at home and in our commercial spaces already goes way beyond this. He’ll discuss how we can already deploy smart tech into our properties today and a vision for how things will change in the near future. In addition he’s promising some cool live tech demo’s to show us how its done!

Tez is the Technical Production Manager for Durham County Council and is also the co-founder of Smart Homes which itself originated from a ‘Bright Idea’.

Luxeia brings smarts technologies to all kinds of homes. Luxeia uses open-source technology to bring ultimate control of all smart devices from one application and has a passion for all things automation, whether it be on the stage or in the home.

He has worked around the globe behind the scenes bringing new technologies to conferences and live events.

Why do we struggle to find lasting love? The quest for great relationships is the ultimate human mystery, but what if we’ve been looking in the wrong places?

In our next, eye-opening talk, dating coach Lily Walford takes you beyond the usual clichés of “communication breakdowns” and dives deep into the psychology behind why we pick the wrong partners. Spoiler: it’s not about talking more—it’s about breaking free from the hidden psychological patterns that hold us back.

Lily will reveal the science behind what makes a relationship healthy or toxic and share her groundbreaking Love IQ framework—helping you simplify the search for the right partner and finally unlock the secret to lasting love.

Lily specialises in helping individuals heal from toxic relationships and find the right partner. Using a psychological approach, Lily has transformed lives by helping clients understand and overcome patterns that trap them in unhealthy relationships. Welcome Lily!

Louise Young is a comedian from Newcastle, known for her sharp wit, relatable humour, and engaging storytelling.

Her comedy often reflects her working-class background and life as a gay woman in the North of England. She will talk today about navigating the arts from a working class perspective.

has appeared on platforms like BBC Radio 4 and Comedy Central and has toured as support for Alan Carr.

In 2023, she was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, further cementing her reputation as one of the rising talents in the UK comedy scene. Alongside stand-up, she has also written for television, blending personal anecdotes with astute social commentary.

We first worked with Dr Mannix at TEDxNewcastle where her TEDx talk – What Happens As We Die – would go onto become a global sensation racking up 1m+ views in less than a year. She joins the Bright Ideas Gathering next with a brand new talk.

Cardiac arrest, the medical term for the sudden loss in heart function preventing the heart from pumping blood around the body, is one of the leading causes of death in the UK.

It is a medical emergency that needs treatment within minutes to prevent death. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is vital first aid for cardiac arrest, and learning CPR is now part of the UK’s secondary school curriculum.

But what are the limits of CPR? Is it always the right treatment? And what if someone heart stops when we already know that they are dying? Are all heart-stopping moments alike? Is CPR a last chance to preserve life? Or is it an unhelpful, even brutal, interference at a moment most of us would want peace?

Dr Mannix will ask us to consider what’s the right thing to do at those important, yet different, heart-stopping moments. You can also buy Kathryn's brilliant books from the Collected Bookshop stall in the foyer.

Ready to rewire your brain? Join Melissa Hogenboom next as she dives into the fascinating world of neuroplasticity—the brain’s superpower to reshape and adapt. In her project “Brain Hacks,” she didn’t just research; she put herself under the microscope to find practical ways to boost brainpower and resilience.

Melissa takes you through her six-week experiment, where mindfulness, exercise, and learning new skills weren’t just self-care—they were brain upgrades! Supported by brain scans and cognitive behavioural psychologist Thorsten Barnhofer, she’ll show you how everyday activities like sports, music, and even art are secretly boosting your brain’s potential. Want to hack your own brain? Let's go!

Our next speaker has a lot to say about the UK schools system!

Sammy Wright thinks that the biggest problem facing education today is how to make it fit for a future we cannot yet see. To do this, though, we have to first address how it has been shaped by our past.

Sammy comes to the Bright Ideas Gathering from his role as Head of School at a large secondary school in the region to take a deeper look at the actual functions of our educational institutions in British Society – not just what we think they are for. He’ll seek to lay out a better way to think about schools.

Up next is our space junk expert, James Osborn.

James is a Professor and researcher from Durham University who focuses on the growing issue of satellite debris and space sustainability.

James joins us at Bright Ideas to discuss a huge vulnerability in modern civilisation that nearly nobody talks about – our massive dependence on a network of communication satellites in orbit above us.

Despite their importance the way we monitor and defend our satellite network is ancient in terms of technology. James will talk about the importance of these networks and why we need to move to a new way of protecting these globally important assets.

His work examines the risks posed by orbital debris, particularly where collisions between debris and satellites can lead to exponential increases in space junk.

Welcome James!

The super-rich are thriving like never before, while millions of us are struggling to afford basic needs like a home, education, or a secure future. And if we don’t act now, things are going to get much worse. But here’s the thing—it doesn’t have to be this way.

Liam Byrne, former Treasury Minister and current Labour MP, is opening the afternoon session shortly and is here to break down why wealth inequality has spiralled out of control. He’ll expose how this growing divide is threatening the very fabric of our society, economy, and politics, and reveal where economics has gone off the rails. But more importantly, he’s offering real solutions—five practical ways to rebuild what we’ve lost: a fairer, wealth-owning democracy.

Drawing from discussions with global leaders and experts, Liam isn’t just talking radical ideas—he’s talking achievable change. The future might not be a utopia, but it could be one where we all live longer, healthier, and wealthier lives. Ready to hear how we can turn things around?

Liam's book The Inequality of Wealth: Why it Matters and How to Fix it, will be available to buy at the stand in the foyer.

There are so many great cultural events happening in County Durham, thanks to Durham County Council and their Culture County programme, so if you have enjoyed yourself at Bright Ideas today, why not see what's up next?

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Lunchtime! Our partners and sustainable food heroes are upstairs waiting to serve you and remember, lunch is included in your pass.

If you prefer to get some air, there are plenty of cafes and eateries nearby - the afternoon session starts at 1.30pm sharp!

Up next is Mr Bingo!

The artist, Mr Bingo, earned his nickname when he won £141 at Gala Bingo at age 19. He went on to become a commercial illustrator working regularly with clients such as The New Yorker, The Guardian, TIME, CH4 & The New York Times.

In 2015 he launched a Kickstarter to fund a book about his Hate Mail project. The campaign featured a rap video and a diverse selection of rewards including being trolled, having your washing up done, going on a date in Wetherspoons, being told to eff off on Christmas Day and getting sh*tfaced on a train.

Afterwards he packed in his client practice and decided to focus on being some sort of artist which he’s done ever since. His global fanbase includes David Hockney & Louis Theroux.

In 2023 Mr Bingo decided to take an entire year off as an experiment and left London with a rucksack and no plan at 8:40pm on Dec 31st 2022. He was spotted in Sri Lanka, Japan and Cornwall and returned at 10:25pm on Dec 31st 2023.

We’re proud to be welcoming Mr Bingo back to North East England. For anyone needing to boost their powers of creativity & innovation, you’ll find his left-of-centre view on the world to be highly useful!

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Collecting fingerprints are of course the classic crime scene investigation method to catch the bad guys. However, scientists have discovered the utility of the fingerprint can go way beyond crime scenes.

Chemistry Prof Simona Francese of Sheffield Hallam University comes to the Bright Ideas Gathering next to discuss her work in exploiting the valuable information contained in any fingerprint.

Most recently it was announced her work could result in a new way to screen for breast cancer that would be significantly less painful, invasive & expensive than traditional methods. She’ll discuss her work and its possibilities to impact the wider world.

We are delighted to welcome Simona to our stage and can't wait to hear about her groundbreaking work!

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Up next is NE based trend expert, Joanna Feeley!

Do you know what you’ll be eating, how you’ll decorate, relax, be entertained, or how you will engage with your friends and family in five years’ time? Think you’re in control of these choices? Behind every one of your purchasing decisions is a whole industry trying to anticipate your every thought, feeling and desire.

From the mattress you sleep on to the greeting cards you send, brands are spending years figuring out what “future you” will crave next.

Following a 25-year career advising some of the world’s most famous brands, future trends expert Joanna Feeley will join us to talk about what prompts our shifts in values, taste and behaviour as consumers and how influence spreads among different social groups.

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Next on stage is Taha Yasseri, Full Prof & Chair of Technology & Society who is here to day to introduce a concept some of us might never have considered… what it might be like to have an AI colleague or boss!

In this thrilling glimpse into the future (equal parts exciting and unsettling), Taha Yasseri will unveil evidence-based insights and surprising results from behavioural experiments to help us understand what’s really coming next in the AI-driven world of work. Welcome Taha!

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We are truly honoured that North East Mayor Kim McGuinness is joining us today to help us open the event and to give us some of her thoughts and news from her exciting role as the North East’s first Mayor! Kim will be on stage shortly.

Thank you so much to our supporters Mortal Fools! You can take the opportunity to have a chat with them about their valuable work in the breaks at their stand - or why not visit their website?

Based in Northumberland, they are specialists in co-creation with young people. They produce compelling, socially-relevant, and high-quality theatre, film, and creative projects – led by children, young people, artists, producers, and communities. Their inclusive practice ensures that they actively collaborate with young people who are under-represented in the arts and traditionally face barriers.

https://buff.ly/3YKlG7Z

Did someone say books? 👀 📚 Collected Books, Durham's independent bookshop is partnering with us today to sell the books of some of our speakers. There will be reminders throughout the day but you can find the bookstall in the foyer. You can also find them online after the event at https://buff.ly/40qPbgh