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TEDxNorthernQuarter: TEDx and Talks

TEDxNorthernQuarter: TEDx and Talks

Written by: Andy Coley & Simran Whitham
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TEDxNorthernQuarter: TEDx and Talks goes beyond the red dot to explore the people, ideas and stories that inspire meaningful change. Hosted by Andy Coley and Simran Whitham, each episode features candid conversations with TEDx speakers, organisers, creatives and changemakers. Together, they unpack not only the polished talks you see on stage, but the personal experiences, difficult questions and hard-won lessons behind them. From leadership, identity and creativity to technology, community and the future of how we live and work, TEDx and Talks makes big ideas human, practical and relevant. For curious minds, thoughtful leaders and anyone who believes that one idea - or one conversation - can make a difference. TEDxNorthernQuarter is an independently organised TEDx event. This podcast is independently produced and is not operated by TED.

© 2026 TEDxNorthernQuarter Economics Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Cost of Being Seen | Jsky

    The Cost of Being Seen | Jsky
    Sep 22 2026
    Send us Fan Mail"Ego craves attention. Human nature is to be understood."Jsky is a singer, songwriter, broadcaster and creative whose career has moved across music, fashion, television and Manchester's cultural scene.But after spending around 15 years being visible, both online and in the real world, he has started questioning what visibility is actually worth.In this episode of TEDx and Talks, recorded ahead of TEDxNorthernQuarter 2026, Jsky joins Simran Whitham for a candid conversation about social media, success, identity and the hidden cost of being seen.Jsky explains why his TEDx talk focuses on the way we increasingly use followers, views, likes and engagement as measurements of success, despite those numbers being easier than ever to manipulate and increasingly shaped by algorithms, bots and artificial intelligence.Having built much of his career alongside the rise of social media, Jsky has experienced both sides of online visibility. He talks about trolling, the pressure he has seen creators experience trying to maintain a successful-looking life, and why the version of somebody we see online can be very different from reality.The conversation also asks a more uncomfortable question: even if we never post anything ourselves, are we still responsible for the internet we are creating?Every video we watch, every piece of content we linger on and every interaction we make teaches an algorithm what to show us next. Jsky argues that anonymity does not remove us from that system. Simply consuming content means we are participating in shaping it.Jsky and Simran explore whether social media can still be a force for good, the dangers of mistaking access to information for genuine understanding, and why being permanently exposed to the world's problems can sometimes make us quicker to judge rather than better informed.The conversation then moves into Jsky's own unconventional career.After growing up believing he was supposed to choose one path, he decided instead to pursue everything that interested him. Music led into fashion, fashion created new opportunities, and what initially frustrated him about being labelled a "fashionista" eventually became part of the identity that helped him stand out.Jsky reflects on professionalism, treating people well and why today's most visible person can quickly become yesterday's news. He also explores the important difference between being seen and genuinely being understood, arguing that attention may satisfy the ego for a moment, while understanding can have a much deeper and longer-lasting effect.The pair discuss the boundaries between a public persona and private life, how much of ourselves we should give to social media, and why Jsky deliberately maintains a life that could continue even if his online platforms disappeared tomorrow.The conversation also goes behind the scenes of his TEDxNorthernQuarter journey, from receiving the call telling him he had been selected from more than 200 applications to working with his speaker coach, accepting difficult feedback and transforming his original idea into a deeply personal TEDx talk.Ultimately, Jsky's message comes back to accountability.It is easy to blame social media for what we dislike about the online world. But collectively, we are social media.If we want something better, Jsky believes we all have a part to play in creating it.TEDx and Talks is the official podcast of TEDxNorthernQuarter, taking you beyond the red dot to discover more about the people, stories and ideas behind the talks.This episode is hosted by Simran Whitham.Recorded by THE CLUB MCR in Manchester.TEDxNorthernQuarter 2026 took place at Stoller Hall, Manchester on 11 September 2026, bringing together 16 speakers to share ideas worth spreading, applications for the 2027 event are open until the 30th November 2026.Find out more about TEDxNorthernQuarter:Website: https://www.tedxnorthernquarter.com/Apply for 2027 : https://www.tedxnorthernquarter.com/applyPodcast: https://podcast.tedxnorthernquarter.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedxnorthernquarter/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tedxnorthernquarter/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedxnorthernquarterConnect with Jsky:X: https://x.com/jskychat Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jskychat/TEDxNorthernQuarter is an independently organised event under license granted by TED.
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    44 mins
  • You Don't Have to Be Unbreakable | Asia Sharif

    You Don't Have to Be Unbreakable | Asia Sharif
    Sep 8 2026
    Send us Fan Mail"You do not have to be unbreakable to survive your life."Asia Sharif is a multi-award-winning software engineer, mentor, public speaker and DE&I advocate whose journey has taken her from foster care and a non-traditional route into technology to becoming an influential voice for diversity, resilience and representation.In this episode of TEDx and Talks, Asia joins hosts Andy Coley and Simran Whitham ahead of taking to the TEDxNorthernQuarter stage in Manchester.Asia shares how she originally studied law before dropping out of university, moving to London and eventually deciding during lockdown to challenge herself by learning something completely new. Starting with Python and committing time every day to teaching herself to code, she transformed her career and within a year had secured her first software engineering role and won her first award. The conversation explores representation in technology, challenging stereotypes and why Asia deliberately chose to become visible in an industry where women of colour remained significantly underrepresented. She talks about wanting other women and girls to see somebody who looked like them succeeding in engineering, and why breaking down society's expectations has become a recurring theme throughout her life. Asia then opens up about the experience that would completely reshape her understanding of strength.Three years ago, she was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. After multiple relapses, gruelling treatment and eventually a stem cell transplant, Asia found herself confronting vulnerability in a way that professional success had never required her to do. She talks about the difficulty of asking for help, the fear of being perceived as weak and why eventually allowing her community to support her became one of the most powerful lessons of her life. Asia speaks candidly about the physical and emotional reality of cancer treatment, losing her hair and much of her sense of identity, spending almost a year barely leaving her apartment and ultimately reaching a point during her stem cell transplant when she genuinely feared she might die.During those darkest moments, one thought kept returning. She prayed simply for the chance to see one more sunrise.Having made it through, Asia has spent the time since travelling, experiencing the world and appreciating the ordinary moments she once feared she might never experience again. The conversation also explores faith, foster care, community, goal setting and the small daily actions Asia believes can help us continue moving forward even when life feels overwhelming.Her TEDx talk challenges what she calls "the myth of strength", the idea that being strong means putting on a brave face, dealing with everything alone and never asking for help. Instead, Asia argues that vulnerability, community and knowing when to let other people in can be forms of strength in themselves. Ultimately, Asia's story is about refusing to allow circumstances, stereotypes or adversity to decide what comes next.You do not have to be unbreakable to survive your life.TEDx and Talks is the official podcast of TEDxNorthernQuarter, taking you beyond the red dot to discover more about the people, stories and ideas behind the talks.Hosted by Andy Coley and Simran Whitham.Recorded by THE CLUB MCR in Manchester.TEDxNorthernQuarter returns to Stoller Hall, Manchester on 11 September 2026, bringing together 16 speakers to share ideas worth spreading.Find out more about TEDxNorthernQuarter:Website: https://www.tedxnorthernquarter.com/ Podcast: https://podcast.tedxnorthernquarter.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedxnorthernquarter/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tedxnorthernquarter/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedxnorthernquarterConnect with Asia Sharif:Website: https://www.asiasharif.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asia-sharif-60616b150/Content note: This episode contains candid discussion of cancer, chemotherapy, serious illness, homelessness and difficult personal experiences.TEDxNorthernQuarter is an independently organised event under license granted by TED.
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    41 mins
  • Hospitality Saved My Life | Matty White

    Hospitality Saved My Life | Matty White
    Sep 1 2026

    Send us Fan Mail

    "Hospitality saved my life."

    Matty White has spent more than two decades building a career across radio, television, live events, food, drink and broadcasting, becoming one of the most familiar faces in Manchester along the way.

    But the journey to becoming a presenter, broadcaster, DJ and now host of TEDxNorthernQuarter started somewhere very different.

    In this episode of TEDx and Talks, Matty joins hosts Andy Coley and Simran Whitham ahead of taking on hosting duties at TEDxNorthernQuarter 2026 in Manchester.

    The conversation starts, naturally, with Manchester. Matty shares what he loves about the city, why he believes its friendliness, togetherness and willingness to support people makes it special, and how Manchester helped him build a life when he arrived with very little.

    He also talks about authenticity and why, whether he is on the radio, television, social media or standing on a stage, he has always tried to simply be himself. For Matty, audiences can tell when someone is playing a character, and genuine connection comes from allowing people to see the real person underneath.

    The conversation explores why some of the most interesting stories do not come from celebrities at all, but from the ordinary people we pass every day. Matty reflects on his years interviewing people across Manchester and why "everyone's got a story" has become such an important part of how he looks at people.

    Matty then speaks candidly about experiencing homelessness when he was younger and why supporting efforts to tackle homelessness in Greater Manchester has become deeply personal to him.

    He shares how a charity eventually helped him find somewhere to live, how getting a job in hospitality gave him a second chance, and the moment he realised he could begin building something more. From there came college, university, a move to Manchester and eventually an opportunity answering phones at the BBC that opened the door to a broadcasting career.

    Matty also looks back further, to childhood memories of radio and exchanging cassette tapes with his grandfather, revealing some of the early experiences that sparked his love of presenting and storytelling.

    The conversation turns to ambition, purpose and why Matty still wants more from life despite everything he has already achieved. He talks about learning the craft of live presenting, what being completely present on stage feels like, and offers some characteristically straightforward advice to the TEDxNorthernQuarter speakers.

    Finally, Matty reflects on failure, resilience and legacy. Having failed far more times than he believes he has succeeded, his message is simple: if you are not prepared to fail, you cannot win.

    And when asked what legacy he ultimately wants to leave, his answer has little to do with television, radio, Manchester or his career.

    He simply wants his children to remember having a good dad.

    TEDx and Talks is the official podcast of TEDxNorthernQuarter, taking you beyond the red dot to discover more about the people, stories and ideas behind the talks.

    Hosted by Andy Coley and Simran Whitham.

    Recorded by THE CLUB MCR in Manchester.

    TEDxNorthernQuarter returns to Stoller Hall, Manchester on 11 September 2026, bringing together 16 speakers to share ideas worth spreading.

    Find out more about TEDxNorthernQuarter:

    Website: https://www.tedxnorthernquarter.com/
    Podcast: https://podcast.tedxnorthernquarter.com/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedxnorthernquarter/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tedxnorthernquarter/
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedxnorthernquarter

    Connect with Matty White:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattyfwhite/

    Content note: This episode contains strong language and candid discussion of homelessness and difficult personal experiences.

    TEDxNorthernQuarter is an independently organised event under license granted by TED.
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
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