Sam Watson
When you understand that you are always motivated, all of your behaviour begins to make perfect sense.
Past event · 16 July 2026
60-Second Talk Night
Our second Salon of 2026, held on Thursday 16 July at The Base, Newcastle West. An intimate evening where Novocastrians took the stage, or a seat, to share and hear ideas, each in just 60 seconds. One idea. One minute. One audience.
Date
Thursday 16 July 2026
Time
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Venue
The Base, Newcastle West
Format
17 speakers · 60 seconds each
Everyone has an idea worth a minute.
The 60-Second Talk Night stripped talks back to their core: a single idea, shared simply. No slide deck, no pressure. Just a speaker, the stage and 60 seconds to share an idea, insight, story or perspective that mattered to them.
Seventeen speakers each took their minute, then the room stayed on to connect and unpack the ideas together. For many it was the easiest way to step onto a TEDx stage for the very first time.
One idea. One minute. One audience.
Sixty seconds was barely enough time to be nervous. That was the point. Long enough to land one honest idea, and short enough that anyone could find the courage to stand up and share it. Seventeen times over, the room heard something new.
The speakers and their ideas.
Seventeen Novocastrians took the stage, in the order below. Here is what they came to say.
Shane Williams
To value skills the way we value sport, we need both a grassroots pathway, where kids discover hands-on skills in their community, and a hero pathway, where our best tradespeople and makers are celebrated on the world stage.
Danielle Godfrey
How politeness is putting women in danger, and what we should teach instead.
Tracey Hamilton
It's the end of the world as we know it, but I feel fine: finding agency in flux.
Michelle Heaton
How to build a better life: three lessons I learnt from my staffy.
Lisa Keevill
We build structured transition pathways for leaving the military, the police or a career. So why do we treat the end of a decades-long marriage as something to simply move on from?
Mel Sebastian
A diagnosis of autism or ADHD can open doors, but it can also quietly close them. Why support shouldn't depend on disclosure.
Mathew Fox
A self-help book inspired by my brother, who had Down syndrome, reimagined as an AI coach in your pocket, guiding people from insight to action. Most of us know what to do, we just need someone beside us to help us do it.
Melissa Horvat
Design is dead... or is it?
Caroline De Vries
Climate change is only possible with social climate change at its foundation.
Tricia Martin
We license people to drive because a car can cause harm. Smartphones are the most sophisticated psychological tools in history, so the next L-plates shouldn't be for roads, but for algorithms, with parents getting licensed first.
Dave Connett
The key to overcoming victimhood is to give its thoughts no oxygen, and to be disciplined in replacing them with something far better.
Angelo Piccione
Deep purpose is what gives ordinary people the courage to attempt extraordinary things before they know they're possible.
Ryan Lynch
The future of work isn't humans versus AI. It's humans becoming stewards of AI agents, using taste, judgement and responsibility to guide the machines that do the doing.
Shonavee Simpson-Anderson
SEO isn't a skill, it's a framework, and it's powerful enough to bridge knowledge gaps for every kind of digital professional.
Annelise Dixon
A community-led movement connecting Newcastle's mental health and suicide prevention resources, helping people find the right support at the right time.
Declan Edwards
Measuring a society's success through GDP and the economy alone is crippling our development.
With thanks to our venue partner.
TEDxNewy is volunteer-run and not-for-profit. Salon 2 was made possible by The Base Health, who opened their doors for the night.
Venue Partner
The Base Health
A wellbeing space in the heart of Newcastle, connecting our community with the range of services and supports that matter so much right now.
- Psychology
- Family counselling
- Nature therapy
- Adventure therapy
- Art therapy
- Occupational therapy
Sixty seconds, seventeen times over.
Coming soon
More from the night.
Individual talks and photos from the 60-Second Talk Night are being pulled together. Check back here soon to see the ideas from the night in full.