TORONTO (Digital Journal) — Some call it a “Mecca of minds” while others see it as a “rich ecosystem of thought.” No matter the moniker, ideaCity is an unforgettable experience that showcases the brightest thinkers and artistic talents in North America.
Taking place in Toronto today until Friday, ideaCity is the brainchild of Moses Znaimer, media guru and founder of Citytv, MuchMusic and other Canadian television stations. He once said that his unique think-fest responds to “the pressing need for people with great ideas, passion and commitment to make the world a better, smarter, healthier place.”
Speakers range from biologists to rock musicians, while the format remains loose: Presenters speak for 20 minutes without cue cards, allowing a free flow of ideas to percolate in the University of Toronto’s Isabel Bader Theatre. Frequent breaks between sessions allow attendees to mingle and schmooze with the speakers. After the day of discussion and mingling, evening parties add another opportunity for one-on-one chatting.
At this year’s ideaCity event there are many great minds worth discovering. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. returns to a Canadian audience that embraced his protect-the-planet speech last year; Gord Downie, lead singer of rock band The Tragically Hip, adds star power to the ideaCity lineup ; June Callwood is a noted author and social activist unafraid to support Canadian civil liberties; the Oscar-winning Chris Landreth makes his ideaCity debut in a talk that will surely include an overview of how his short film Ryan raked in more than 30 awards.
Other noteworthy speakers include retired major general Richard Rohmer, playwright Tomson Highway, geneticist Josef Penninger, high-seas adventurer Derek Hatfield, journalist Peter C. Newman, social activists Craig and Marc Kielburger and cartoonist Terry Mosher (aka Aislin).
ideaCity is not all heavy bouts of thinking, despite the A-list names in the social sciences. In fact, many sessions end with either a musical or theatrical performance, providing a necessary jolt as the caffeine buzz wears off. Musicians performing this year include Toronto-based Samba Squad, Celtic-flavoured Quagmyre, and guitar- and flute-playing twin sisters Duo Similia.
From the schmoozing breaks to the swanky parties, interactivity is a necessary element to completely enjoy the thought-provoking conference. A frequent favourite is the Great Wall of Ideas, which is a giant bulletin board holding jotted thoughts written by attendees on tear-out note cards. There are no limits with the Great Wall, as there are no limits to the creative capacity at ideaCity.
The amazing thing about ideaCity is that one speaker’s subject will blend into another’s, and so on, and each attendee is left truly inspired. Unlike many lecture series, ideaCity stresses originality and connections, all framed in the haze of talent, celebrity and genius.
www.ideacityonline.com
Check back each day for more exclusive information about ideaCity05! PLUS, look forward to the Fall issue of Digital Journal magazine for more in-depth coverage of the event of the year!
