We’re very happy to announce our 10th volume of Pecha Kucha Canberra, which will take place TONIGHT at Craft ACT Craft & Design Centre in Civic (opposite the Legislative Assembly). Kick off is around 7pm.
As always, Volume 10 will feature a bunch of creative people discussing inspiring things. Plus, giveaways from our friends at the InDesign group, the fabled cut-price beer break, and much more.
Entry is via a gold coin donation, and we’ll make it worth your while- promise.
See you there!
Canberra art guru, scribe, curator, organiser, agitator and Pecha Kucha Volume 9 presenter Yolande Norris wrote a piece on her PK experience at her blog, Useless Lines. While we implore to check out her kind words, we also suggest that you work through the entire site. The whole thing. Yolande is one of the clearest, loudest and finest writers and thinkers on art and community and inspiration and the stuff that gets us at PKC headquarters up in the cold morning. Check it.
The vast program of CraftACT events continues, with three big shows opening on 30 June.
First up is the latest show in the Elements series. Elements: glass, will highlight invited artists Helen Aitken-Kuhnen, Clare Belfrage, Judi Elliott, Klaus Moje, Kirstie Rea, Itzell Tazzyman, Blanche Tilden and Richard Whiteley.
Tour de Force: In Case Of Emergency Break Glass, is a groundbreaking exhibition that highlights the work of eight progressive Australian artists who have made work that breaches the traditional ideas, methods and materials of glass making.
Finally, Annabelle Davidson, the latest sprout of talent fresh from The Australian National University (ANU) School of Art, will feature in Harvest - a series of award exhibitions in Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre’s Crucible Showcases.
All shows will be opened by Dr Chris Bourke MLA, Member for Ginninderra, at 6.pm Thursday 30 June 2011.
For more information on these events including contact and RVSP details, visit;
As many of you know, Pecha Kucha headquarters are in Tokyo. You might also be aware that in response to the earthquake in Haiti last year the global PK community got together, put on a worldwide PK night, and raised enough coin to build a school. So it’ll come as no surprise that the bosses have something planned to assist the people of Japan. Without further ado, here’s a message from Mark & Astrid.
On the March 11, Japan suffered what has been described as a 1000 year event. The earthquake and tsunami destroyed 400km of coastline, killing over 10,000 people, leaving 400,000 people homeless, and has triggered a nuclear situation that is still unfolding.
Japan has inspired designers for many generations, it is the reason we travelled to this country 20 years ago, and have since made it our home. Japan is where the “PechaKucha 20 images x 20 seconds” show-and-tell event format was born, and it has gone on to inspire designers to get together in 400 cities around the world, to share their creativity at more than 1000 events each year.
Japan has inspired us all, now is it our turn to “Inspire Japan.”
Please join us on April 16 and be a part of Global PechaKucha Day - Inspire Japan. Let’s all come together and show Japan that the creative world is thinking of them, that all is not lost, and that it is possible to stand up and rebuild, even in villages and towns which have been completely destroyed. With creativity and passion, anything is possible.
On April 16, many of the 400 PechaKucha cities around the world will come together and hold events, broadcasting out to the world and Japan over multipule Ustreams. Find a city near you and attend or watch on Ustream. Donate at the door or online.
The 20×20 presentations will be focused on 3 main themes INSPIRE, JAPAN, THE ISSUES, RECOVERY. They could be simply about things that inspire us, or Japan how it has inspired you. Great ideas or solutions that help deal with the issues at hand whether earthquake, tsunami or nuclear - and the road to recovery.
On the 16th of April 100’s of 20×20 presentations will be made around the world, these will all be streamed live and then uploaded online to make a database of postive inspiration for Japan.
Astrid Klein & Mark Dytham
PechaKucha Founders
Tokyo
To learn more about this, visit the Inspire Japan site.
Welcome to the first installment of a new series, where we catch up with former Pecha Kucha Canberra presenters and fling 20 questions their way. First to face the interrogation is musician, promoter and label boss Warwick JW Smith.
1. Remind us who you are and what you do again?
I run the independent record label Birds Love Fighting Records which releases music, puts on shows, supports tours and promotes selected bands and artists. I have also played in a lot of bands and currently I’m in the bands Cat Cat and Orbits. I also put a lot of energy into being in the Electric Lake team. Electric Lake is a free picnic festival held a few times a year in Commonwealth Park.
2. What have been up to lately?
A few different things. Launching the new Birds’ website and online shop, helping curate a show for the You Are Here festival which will be located in the Melbourne Building alleyway, and getting some local artists to record some music to release early this year such as Bacon Cakes and Killing Birds (with credit to the skills and time of audio engineer Leon Twardy)
3. Which PKC did you present at?
Volume 8.
4. Was it fun?
Heck yes! I’d love to do it again, I think I have even more to talk about.
5. Could you describe your relationship to Canberra?
My heart is battle worn, but the soul is willing.
6. What kind of city is Canberra to do your thing in?
An excellent city to do your own thing. It’s a bit Catch 22. You can get a lot done here but there are limits. Unless you take what you do on the road, have a serious online presence or get folk travelling interstate to see it or experience it you will only be entertaining the loyal few. I think this is the case for most things like art, music, sport and so on. Of course the loyal few are an excellent bunch and nothing would happen without them.
7. As someone who mixes making and promoting, how do the two influence each other?
I guess that’s how it all came to be. Being in bands and having friends in bands, DIY (Do It Yourself) was inevitable. So in most cases the people doing the work, are often the ones promoting or presenting the shows.
8. What do you say to those who suggest that Canberra is a little slow?
I’d say they are wrong. I think that’s the wrong choice of word. I think Canberra is growing rapidly and has proven it can host a variety of music festivals and movements can flourish on their own. There are a lot of good people doing positive projects to inspire others to create their own experiences. It’s my belief that it’s more a case of the infrastructure and Canberra’s priorities are a bit backwards. There seems to be more a focus on quiet inner city living and wide open roads and parking fines, rather than (although it’s being attempted) a nurturing “I’ve got your back” attitude to sponsoring and supporting music.
9. Could you describe the musical community from where you stand?
Fantastic, there’s been a real explosion of bands. I do however encourage people to get together and start jamming again and get the good times rolling with spontaneity.
10. If you could change three things about this city, what would they be?
Not much, just keep on what we’re all doing and it’ll work out just fine.
11. If you could live anywhere else, where would that be?
The bright lights of Melbourne. Sorry, I’ve just disappointed everyone by stereotyping myself as one of those people who move from Canberra to Melbourne to pursue fame and fortune.
12. Where are the key Canberra locales a visitor should visit?
The light dome in front of NGA, The Phoenix Pub,
13. What are you working on next?
Spreading the Birds’ tentacles wide and far.
14. Who are the musical acts in/from Canberra that people need to know about?
Teddy Trouble.
15. Do you think 20 questions are too many?
I think 15 is too many.
16. Are you ok to answer just a couple more?
Only because you gave me $5.
17. What’s your favourite time of year in Canberra?
Autumn so far, it’s the best summer we never had.
18. What do you hope for?
A set of gold grills.
19. What have you had enough of?
3 questions later.
20. Where can we find out more about what you do?
Personally I’m not sure you’re going to dig up much unless you’re really good at using Google. However you can visit www.birdslovefighting.com to get into the music thing.
That was some good Pecha Kucha Canberra- thanks to everyone who turned out, drank all our beer, and contributed to our 9th volume. We’ll be back for another on September 29 at Craft ACT.
Those presenters are some good ones right? Make sure you:
As always, a huge thank you to Diana, Amy, Avi and the whole Craft ACT posse, as well as our supporters. And keep an eye on this here website for weekly updates regarding creative people and happenings in Canberra.
So the very first You Are Here festival has been and gone, and in our humble estimation kicked some tukos. From the night extravaganzas (Last Prom, New Weird Showcase, the many iterations of the excellent Bally), to the daytime splendour of being able to witness melodica orchestras, art in odd places, laneway festivals and bike riding silliness, You Are Here did some important things to Canberra during the first pieces of March- it brought a rush of random excitement, some weirdness and some community. We loved it.
The team behind the festival now want to know what you thought- head over to the You Are Here website and give them your feedback. We want it to return in 2012, and letting the organisers know what you thought will be an important step in building a better festival next year. Congrats from us to David, Yolande, Anthony and all the coordinators. More please.
One of the best we think- and from those we spoke to afterwards, we weren’t alone in deeming Volume 8 a roaring success. Thanks to all of you who braved the winter chill.
We must reserve special thanks to our presenters however, who made the night exactly what a Pecha Kucha night should be- inspired, provocative and entertaining. They were:
John Tait- Architect & Planner
Warwick Smith- Musician, Promoter and the man behind Birds Love Fighting records
Sunny Forsyth- Engineer, Founder of the Abundant Water project
Genevieve Jacobs- Broadcaster, ABC 666
Gilbert Riedelbauch- Artist, Academic
Dianne Firth- Artist, Academic
Another winning installment of Pecha Kucha Canberra was held last week at CraftACT- many thanks to the outstanding presenters, the fabulous audience, our sponsors (especially Aesop, who provided the presenters and one lucky audience member with an assortment of their fine wares), and a particular shout-out to Diana Hare from CraftACT, who was instrumental in making the event a success.
We return, same place, June 16 2010 for Volume 8. If you’re interested in submitting, get in early- each PKC event in 2010 will only host 8 presenters.
Visit us again here or via our facebook page for information on presenters, what’s happening with Pecha Kucha globally, and what’s happening locally in our fantastically diverse and active creative community.
Thanks again to those of you who spent a little time with in Pecha Kucha land for Vol 7- it was another successfully eclectic and inspiring evening of chatter. We’ll have some photos up from the night shortly…
Vol 8 takes place the 16th of June- if you’d like to be involved, drop us a line at pechakuchacanberra@gmail.com.
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