Cranbrook’s fifth instalment of PechaKucha is coming up on February 8 at 6p.m. at the lobby of Key City Theatre. Eight creative people will share their ideas, works, thoughts and personal stories.
Presenters include Zach Silver, Dave Podmoroff, Dennis Walker, Ilona Hale, Star Hungry Wolf Cardinal, Thea De Paoli, Barb Fenwick and Tanya Malcolm. The show is open to all ages and tickets are $12 and available online at www.keycitytheatre.com.
Kimberley local Andra Louie founded the PechaKucha Cranbrook series not long ago, and since its inception she says the events have gained a lot of momentum.
“PechaKucha translates to ‘chit chat’,” said Louie. “I often call it an adult show and tell.”
She adds that the event will be cabaret style, with a DJ, cash bar, free snacks door prizes, and best of all – lots of meaningful conversation.
“PechaKucha originated in Tokyo in 2003, by a group of architects who wanted to come up with a solution for death by powerpoint,” laughed Louie. “They wanted a quick and precise format to get their information across.”
They achieved just that. PechaKucha is presentation style that shows 20 images for 20 seconds each, followed by a Q&A with the audience and presenter.
“I moved here [Kimberley] five years ago after living in many big city centres including Edmonton and the Lower Mainland, where I saw a few of these events,” explained Louie. “After working for College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, I was inspired by the people I met and the stories they had and I thought, ‘how can we all come together in an event’. Which is what brought on PechaKucha Cranbrook.”
She reached out to PechaKucha Tokyo and got the go ahead to be a part of a global network of PechaKucha presenters.
“There’s a lot of room for creativity and customizing the event,” she said. “There’s a lot of conversation and discovery, especially because after each presentation there is a Q&A. It gives everyone time to discuss and more information is revealed along the way.
“It’s so interesting because there is a lot of exploration and discovery of ideas. Some people’s presentations are serious, some are funny, some are absolutely stunning and some are really informative. Some people will talk about their inspiration for a specific art project, while others will discuss a relationship or revisit past experiences.”
Louie says that the audience is always full of creative people.
“The audiences are always great; a lot of big thinkers with great questions. They’re curious and supportive.”
Now that Louie is onto her fifth instalment of PechaKucha Cranbrook, she hopes to continue to expand and include other communities.
“I really want to have an outreach that includes communities across the East Kootenay,” said Louie. “I’m seeking diversity in presenters, and more people means more opportunities.”
She adds that she is always looking for volunteers, specifically on the tech side of things. If you want to get involved in presenting or volunteering, contact Louie at andralou@telus.net or check out the PechaKucha Cranbrook Facebook page.
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