Talk Summary
Chris Dite explains the importance of mobilizing large numbers of everyday people in order to change the debate and change the world.
Ben Langdon: Diversity in Fictional Heroes
Talk Summary
Ben Langdon urges you to read and write young adult fiction that reflects reality to encourage a sense of self among young minorities.
Scott Allison: Heroism as Transformation
Talk Summary
Scott Allison argues that central to heroic action is transformation and harmonization. Hero stories help us harmonize with society by describing transformational heroic struggles.
The Hero Team
The Hero's Journey
The One-Step Program to Becoming Extraordinary
Suzanne Bernier: Disaster Heroes
Disaster Heroes
Suzanne Bernier
Talk Summary
Suzanne Bernier introduces her discovery of disaster heroes. After being a journalist she started noticing good people doing good things during and after disasters. Her ensuing research showed her that Mr Rogers' comment about looking for helpers when seeing scary news was a powerful idea, so she wrote a book.
Samantha Gash
Chad Ellsworth
Samantha Swords
Samantha Swords
Samantha is an artist, craftsperson, fighter and performer from Wellington, New Zealand, who grew up in the Blue Mountains, NSW. She works in the film industry and has been involved with world-renowned special effects facility Weta Workshop since 2008, on productions including The Hobbit, Superman: Man of Steel, The Chronicles of Narnia, District 9 and Elysium. Productions outside of Weta include The Interview and Warcraft.
She has worked with prop-making, armour construction, model-making, miniatures, large-scale sculpture, set construction, set dressing, painting, costume construction (especially leatherwork), creature-making, prosthetics, casting and molding, and metal-smithing.
She is a passionate outdoor adventurer, and also is an experienced swordswoman. She studies the weapons, armour and martial arts systems of medieval Europe. In 2013 she won the longsword division of the Harcourt Park Jousting Tournament. She has traveled and trained internationally, and has been an instructor of medieval martial arts since 2012.