FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Professor Andrei Malaev-Babel Selected to Speak at TEDx Railway Village in the United Kingdom
Swindon, United Kingdom – june 19, 2025
Professor Andrei Malaev-Babel, internationally recognized actor, director, and leading authority on the Demidov School of Acting, has been selected to present a featured talk at TEDx Railway Village in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2026.
TEDx events, organized under license from TED, are among the most selective global platforms for the presentation of ideas, bringing together speakers whose work offers original insight, intellectual rigor, and broad relevance across disciplines. Speakers are chosen through a highly competitive, curated selection process, with emphasis placed on ideas that challenge conventional thinking and resonate with diverse international audiences.
Professor Malaev-Babel’s talk, titled “Lines of Connection: Why Acting Is Not a Miracle,” will introduce a powerful rethinking of human creativity and transformation. Drawing on his decades-long research and practice, the talk presents the Demidov School not as a historical curiosity, but as a profoundly relevant and scientifically grounded approach to unlocking spontaneous, subconscious creativity.
At the core of the talk is a striking proposition: that transformation—long regarded as mysterious, even miraculous—can be understood as a learnable psychophysical process, accessible not only to actors, but to individuals across disciplines, from science and education to leadership and innovation.
This invitation marks a significant milestone in the international recognition and popularization of the Demidov School, a major yet historically underrepresented branch of modern actor training. Originally developed in the early twentieth century by Russian theatre practitioner Nikolai Demidov, the method has been revived and advanced by Professor Malaev-Babel, who is widely regarded as its foremost contemporary exponent.
Through his work as Professor of Theatre and Head of Acting at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, and as Head and Certifying Master Teacher of the International Demidov Association, Malaev-Babel has brought the Demidov approach to actors and creators around the world. His selection for the TEDx stage represents a rare opportunity to introduce this work to a global public audience, significantly expanding its reach beyond the professional theatre community.
All TEDx talks are professionally recorded and distributed worldwide through TED’s digital platforms, reaching millions of viewers and contributing to ongoing international conversations at the intersection of art, science, and human potential.
“This moment represents not only a personal honor,” said Malaev-Babel, “but an important step in bringing the Demidov School into a broader global dialogue about creativity, perception, and the nature of human transformation.”
About Andrei Malaev-Babel
Professor Andrei Malaev-Babel is an internationally recognized theatre director, actor, and educator, and the leading authority on the Demidov School of acting. He serves as Professor of Theatre and Head of Acting at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training and leads the International Demidov Association, advancing a globally influential approach to actor training centered on spontaneity, subconscious creativity, and psychophysical transformation.