Public Speaking Doesn’t Have to Be Scary: The Root, Reason & Reframing Fear

Title: Why Public Speaking Doesn’t Have to Be Scary: The Root, Reason and Reframing of Fear
Speaker: Calum Moore, Public Speaking & Communication Skills Trainer (Founder of The Communication Catalyst)

49% of UK adults report a fear of public speaking, over 28 million people.
Yet speaking is something we do every day, so why does it feel different when an audience is watching?

This talk explores the psychology behind public speaking anxiety, from our brain’s threat response to the societal pressures that have elevated speaking into something performative and intimidating.
By breaking public speaking down into its physical and mental components, Calum offers practical tools to settle nerves, redirect attention, and communicate with greater confidence and clarity, even when nerves are present.

Key Takeaways

• A clearer understanding of what public speaking actually involves, including the physical stress response that activates when we feel observed.

• Insight into the psychological roots of speaking anxiety, and why this fear is both common and learned rather than a sign of inability.

• Practical tools to manage nerves, regulate breath and posture, and communicate with greater clarity, even when discomfort is present.

• A shift in perspective: seeing public speaking not as performance, but as a skill that can be understood, practised, and developed.

Doors - 7:30pm - first come first served on seating

Intros - 7:50pm

Talk - 8pm

Q&A - 8:40pm