Show and Tell for Grown-ups

PechaKucha Nights: Have you heard of them? If you’ve been paying attention the answer is probably yes, as there have been 34 PechaKucha Nights in Providence over the past three years – one per month, in various venues – and the events have garnered a fair share of media coverage, including a lot of space in our sister publication, Providence Monthly. Some of you may know of PechaKucha Night Providence (PKN for short) from a friend or through social media. As for the rest of you, well read on.

The most recent PKN Night took place on January 25, right here at the East Side’s Waterman Grille. I was more than happy to attend, on assignment. It was my second trip to a PechaKucha Night, the first prompted by a friend who was presenting (more on that later). I was hooked. It was a fun and energizing experience and I repeatedly and mercilessly chastised my husband for having been – let’s be blunt – such a deadbeat for refusing to go with me. The second time around, he gave in. A reluctant traveler, he nevertheless had to admit by the end of the night that I had been right after all. Sometimes it works out that way. The wine helped.

So, what is this phenomenon all about?

The name, PechaKucha, is Japanese. It means “chit-chat” or (more literally), the “sound of conversation.” It is not hard to say, once you get over some American- style hang-ups. Ignore that the “K” is capitalized and pay no attention whatsoever to the pesky “u.” Employ magic marker to write the phonetic spelling on your hand, and with just a little practice you will have it: pa-CHAK-cha. It is a nice sounding name and – I think – an appropriate one too.

PechaKucha Nights began in Tokyo in February 2003, when two architects created a forum where other young designers could “meet, network and show their work in public.” The key to the success of the events is the unique format that all presenters must use to share their ideas, work, passion or just plain humor. Presenters stand in front of a projector screen. The format is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds per image. The pre-selected images forward automatically while the presenter talks along to them. The result is six minutes and 40 seconds of adult-style show and tell.

The Tokyo architects had seen enough PowerPoint presentations to know that in a social setting, the format needed to force conciseness and keep things moving at a rapid pace. Their idea took off. There are now PechaKucha Nights in 469 (and counting) cities across the globe. On January 25, while 100 or so people gathered at Waterman Grille, similar groups met to share ideas in Tokyo and Brussels. Providence, it should be proudly noted, is the only city of the 469 that holds an event each and every month.

There are few rules beyond the 20 x 20 format. Anyone can present. Michael Gazdacko is PKN’s official organizer. By day he is the Director of Development and Operations at Urban Smart Growth (best known for Hope Artiste Village, their funky urban space on Main Street in Pawtucket, which houses The Met). Social media, he says, is missing the one ingredient that is crucial to old-fashioned storytelling: being able to hear and see the person who is telling the story. PKN does not “curate or jury” who presents or what is presented, he says, which makes for a very interesting evening and contributes to a buzz of anticipation as each presenter is introduced.

The theme for January’s PKN was “New.” Each night is organized around a theme, although, as you might guess, there are no rules about sticking closely to that theme, or indeed sticking to it at all, as Ashley Ernest, a jewelry designer, so hilariously pointed out in her allotted six minutes and 40 seconds. Her presentation could best be described as a personal stream of consciousness narration (revelation really) that began with a Google search of the word new.

Presentations are not tutorials as the format does not lend itself to that. I learned from Richard Durishin a little bit about VeloSprints – 500-meter stationery bike races that happen in places like McFadden’s (the next one is April 1). While these races sometimes involve drinking beer, they always involve raising money to teach urban kids the skills of bicycling.

From Thea Izzi I discovered the existence of Ecstatic Dance, also known as Trance Dance, which is definitely not drunk dancing. It encourages one to “set your intentions,” a concept that could be applied to almost any area of life.

Artist Rachel Cyrene Blackman amazed with a slide show about words, new word orders, odd pairings of words, and a new product that engages a game-like approach to putting words into poetry.

Joey Chia gave an energetic interpretation of his art process, assuring us that “sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself.”

Duck & Bunny owner Dan Becker assured us that 2012 would not be the year of the Apocalypse, and I can’t really explain his reasoning other than to say his presentation began with the observation, “Have you been around for the last 40 years?” and included images of Callista Gingrich, Michael Jackson, Rush Limbaugh, Al Gore and Ted Haggard.

My overall interpretation of PKN is that it’s an opportunity to hear about things that would otherwise remain completely under my radar screen. That seemed to be the assessment of others as well. Stephanie Zurek, who lives near Wayland Square, has been to three or four events. “I love hearing what other people are thinking about,” she says. “It creates a great feeling of community.” Tony Yu, who also lives near Wayland Square, agrees: “There is an energy. Everybody here is interesting.” Yu, an MIT graduate, works at Brown as a medical researcher and has only recently moved to Providence. He confirmed what I found from going to just two PechaKucha Nights. “You can never predict how each one is going to play out.” That, too, is part of the appeal.

One thing can be safely predicted, though. Inevitably, the idea of becoming a presenter is likely to enter your head. That happened to my friend Wendy Grossman of Fox Point. Another friend suggested she make a presentation about the poems she composes daily and posts on Facebook. Her Facebook poems emerge from the words or phrases others have posted that day. Grossman considers herself to be quiet and shy, but she doesn’t back away from a challenge. She practiced a lot and it went well. The slides were a good prop, she said, and the audience response helped too. “It is the combination of the visual with the talking that appeals to me,” Grossman says. “It is a creative forum, and produces a feeling of community with others in the city.”

East Side Monthly readers will recognize the names of two other past presenters. Karina Wood is a two-time participant. “I love PKN,” she says. In December, Wood was a mystery presenter – ad-libbing to slides she had not previously seen. “It was a bit nerve-wracking but very fun,” she states. East Side Monthly education writer Jill Davidson was intrigued by the 20 x 20 format. She participated in a PKN on the theme of relationships – her presentation told of the relationship between her family and the Providence Public School system. “I liked the challenge of associating images with concepts... and of having to be concise,” Davidson says.

The success Providence has had in making PechaKucha Nights part of the fabric of the community is thanks to a great deal of work – volunteer work – by many people. Providence Media’s own John Taraborelli is on PKN’s board, and plays an active role in organizing each month’s event. Another East Sider, Tobias Lederberg, was a member of the founding board and now serves as Vice President and pro bono legal counsel. He too has been a presenter. Michael Gazdacko is the President of the PKN board and is the one most responsible for all of the organizing logistics. On event days he puts in “a good six hours” of work; between events he estimates another 15-25 hours go towards finding presenters and venues and getting information out to the public each month.

The most stressful thing Gazdacko deals with is when presenters back out and he has to scramble to find backups. He likes to have seven or eight presenters at each event. Gazdacko could not point to any one presentation as standing out in his mind as the best, or most memorable. “They are all so different and special in their own right.” And that, I suppose, is the whole point.

The next PKN Nights will be held at Fete in Olneyville on February 22 and at the Roots Cafe on March 28. The theme will be “cities.” Go to www.pecha-kucha.org for more information, or join the “PechaKucha Providence” group on Facebook to find out how to be a presenter. Then let loose and seek out your inner chit. Or chat.