Inspiration, social activism, creative thought and action, TEDxBrum will double your brain power and quite possibly potential when the biggest event yet comes to The Hippodrome for 2018. This year the locally-organised branch of TED, the international independent conference of specialist speakers, aims to create conversations around a wide range of topics encouraging diversity and debate through talks and performance. Last year, TEDxBrum’s theme was (rather pertinently), about harnessing the Power of Us to overcome the embedded polarisation of ‘us’ and ‘them’ in an increasingly binary world. This year the theme is simply ‘Perspectives’ and speakers, artists and performers promise to show us enough of them to open up plenty of brand new doors of perception. How we understand each other, relate to each other, and talk to each other, embracing alternate perspectives and challenging our own, it’ll all be on the table at TEDxBrum this year. Just make sure you reserve your seat.

Sun 15 Oct at The Hippodrome, The Hippodrome, Hurst St, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB. £40 www.birminghamhippodrome.com