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PechaKucha Pensacola seeks to foster creativity and community

October 24, 2014
/ Mike Ensley
/ training-development

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then attendees of The First City Arts Center’s PechaKucha Pensacola on Nov. 8, will leave with a larger vocabulary. The PechaKucha movement is based around a simple presentation format that consists of 20 images, accompanied by dialogue, presented for 20 seconds each, focusing on creative ideas. PechaKucha presentations can be on anything – from a personal record collection to a big idea to change the community. First City Arts board member Julie Young first experienced PechaKucha in New Orleans 10 years ago. Since then she wanted to find a way to bring it to Pensacola. Young, writer Kalyn Wolfe and First City Arts Executive Director Meredith Doyen became the driving forces behind bringing the event to life in Pensacola. “We are looking for people who know how to tell a good story,” Young said. “Someone who is really good at engaging people, and someone who isn’t afraid to share ideas and insight.” Locally, Wolfe believes that the keys to a successful evening already exist. “Pensacola has style, and Pensacola has talent,” Wolfe said. “And that’s something that should be celebrated.” The history of PechaKucha The PechaKucha presentation format was devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham architecture, according to the movement’s official website, pechakucha.org. The first PechaKucha Night was held in Tokyo in their gallery/lounge/bar/club/creative kitchen, SuperDeluxe, in February, 2003, the site says. The organizers hope that like-minded members of the Pensacola community will come and be enriched by the experience. “Anyone and everyone interested in the arts, thinking, drinking, and learning something new” should be there, says Wolfe. So far, the response has been strong for the event. “Everyone who knew about PechaKucha was incredibly excited,” Young said. “We had to work on our pronunciation and explanation of the event. We have taken to saying, it’s like the (well-known) TED talks, but for creatives.” Creating a sense of something bigger The organizers hope everyone who attends will leave feeling that they have been a part of something important. “I want participants to walk away with knowing that they made a difference in their community, and possibly, the world,” Wolfe said. “PechaKucha is a global network that serves 770 cities all over the world. And attendees should know that they witnessed and took part in something really special.” Young agrees and sees PechaKucha as part of a transformation that is happening in the Arts community. “There are some many people who have worked for years, invested time, and donated money to create a community that embraces the arts, supports creative entrepreneurship, and helps turn the economic engine of the city,” Young said. “More importantly, it is an event that will showcase the creative furnace that is fueling our city forward.” The event is still seeking speakers for the upcoming and future events. Interested speakers can register at http://www.pechakucha.org/cities/pensacola/contact/new Want to go? Pensacola PechaKucha Nov. 8, 2015 at 8:20 p.m. First City Arts Center, 1060 N Guillemard St. Part of the larger Foo Foo on Fire Event. Foo Foo on Fire will showcase potters and glass blowers from the Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival, a raku firing, beer, food, and PechaKucha Pensacola. Admisson is $20 for the evening’s events. For more information, http://www.pechakucha.org/cities/pensacola

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PechaKucha Pensacola seeks to foster creativity and community

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