You get 20 slides, 20 seconds each, show anything you want and say whatever you wish…or play music, read poetry, question the crowd, expose truths, make jokes, make connections, just make sure it’s entertaining or inspiring enough to keep the crowd in their seats. Turns out power points don’t have to be boring, who knew?
These are the parameters for a new presentation form emerging among architects, artists, activists, and enthusiasts alike. The Pecha Kucha (PK for short) is quickly spreading throughout the world, with the last official number of PK Events at 183 cities worldwide and growing. Traditionally pronounced in three syllables, peh-chak-cha (or pech-a-kuch-a in the American tradition of bastardization) translates to the sound of chitter-chatter in Japanese. The term was appropriated by the Tokyo based architects Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein who developed the fast-paced, concise format to fill their co-owned performance venue SuperDeluxe with an audience engaged by a large number of presenters. Anyone can participate in a PK Night, simply choose your topic and follow these requirements: 20 powerpoint slides, each displayed for 20 seconds, 6 minutes and 40 seconds total and then it’s “40 seconds of fame” (as the creator’s put it) before the focus moves on to the next presenter.
The Rathaus urges everyone to check the Pecha Kucha Night website to see when a PK is coming to your area. Traditionally 8 to 14 performers take the stage at each event, and all you need is the willingness and a little preparation to be a performer yourself. The simple parameters make for unlimited possibilities among content; from musicians to businessmen, even ranting drunks, the only expectation is entertainment, engagement and presentation.
If you are interested in bringing Pecha Kucha Night to your city contact pechakucha@klein-dytham.com.
posted by: Scott Starrett
Tags: art, communication, design, the rathaus
