A night of unbridled creativity is just around the corner: it’s PechaKucha.
PechaKucha is an event that allows people to share their creative imaginings using 20 slides that are viewed for 20 seconds each.
There are PechaKucha gatherings all around the world; the Williamsburg event was launched last year by Dale Weiss of Guernsey Tingle Architects, with the support of Williamsburg’s economic development office; there have been two in the city so far.
“A PechaKucha event is like a box of chocolates,” says Weiss. “Since the topic is up to each presenter, and the only restriction is that each presenter is limited to 20 slides for 20 seconds each, you quickly realize how unpredictable and interesting everyone else can be when they’re allowed to run with their own ideas.”
The idea started in Tokyo in 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network and show their work in public, and the idea just expanded from there. The name comes from the Japanese term for the sound of “chit-chat.”
Although PechaKucha is ideally suited for artists, architects, photographers, and designers, almost anyone who has a topic and likes to talk about it can make a presentation. Last year’s local event drew talent from across the spectrum.
“At the Williamsburg events so far we have seen a nuclear physicist who does award winning photography of nature, a comedian talking about her cartoons, an artist sharing her inspirations and techniques, an architect taking us on a tour of Colonial Williamsburg gardens, a media designer sharing his observations on life, a photo essay of baby African wildlife, a henna artist, a silversmith, a few more architects, and a whole parade of artists and photographers,” Weiss says.
The local Pecha Kucha website has slides from last year’s two Williamsburg events available for viewing, as well as slides from a recent event in Gloucester.
Anyone interested can sign up to present. The presenter lineup for the March event is nearly full, Weiss says, but there will be more to come. “The goal is to gather quarterly for our creative chocolate fix,” says Weiss.
For those not interested in standing at the podium, watching the presentations can be lots of fun, too. “PechaKucha makes a great date night,” according to Weiss. “It’s cheap, you see a show, you get to chat with your date, and you get to meet really interesting people.”
It’s also a good place to network, he says.
The next event will take place at 6 p.m. on March 9 at the New Town Art Gallery. Visit the local event website to get more information or to register to participate.
