Spring Conference 2026
Speaker & Performer Applications

Thank you for your interest in applying to become the next TEDxUCIrvine speaker/performer for this year's event happening on MAY 11th-13th, 2026 (The event will only be a single day, however, the date is still To Be Determined. We seek to provide this information as soon as we possibly can).

Apply below and share your thoughts with us! You will be able to edit your responses after submitting and are limited to only one submission. You will also receive a copy of your application responses and the confirmation message "Your Response Has Been Recorded" after your submission.

The deadline is Feb 28th at 5:00PM for all applicants. Please submit your application by the deadline; late submissions will not be accepted.

Each year, our event has a theme curated by the TEDxUCIrvine team. This year's theme is:

"Kintsugi"

The theme is intentionally vague to include a wide array of talks. This year’s annual spring conference theme is ‘Kintsugi’, a concept that embraces the obstacles and situations that we encounter on a daily bases. The Japanese technique of Kintsugi sees shattered pottery and ceramic repaired with a gold lining, similarly, friendships that dissolve into lessons or old systems crumbling to make way for innovation and progress. So how do we accept our past struggles and use them as motivation towards further growth? Through this theme, we to ask the question of "how exactly do we mend our cracks and treat the repair as part of our history and identity, rather than something to hide?"

This one is able accepting obstacles and situations that come your way and embracing it. Using the idea of kingsugi, by confronting the reality of things accepting it, recalibration, and transformation. Think of pottery repaired with gold (Kintsugi), friendships that dissolve into lessons, or old systems crumbling to make way for innovation. It's about reevaluating life, dusting your self off and making the most of what's left

**Disclaimer: While this is how we understand the theme, you are welcome to expand beyond this interpretation. There is no restriction on the topic to be presented, but nevertheless it must have a purpose.