Presented At A PechaKucha Event
26th February 2023 - New Experience Number 3.
I first heard about PechaKucha a couple of weeks after I tried stand up comedy. It may have taken me a few years to sign up to it, but what a great experience! Whether you decide to speak at a PechaKucha event, or attend in the audience, it’s a brilliant new thing to try.
Pecha-What Now?
PechaKucha. Yep, it’s an unusual sounding thing isn’t it? Here’s what it’s all about.
- It’s a dynamic method of delivering slides as presentations.
- Presentations follow the same format, but can be about any topic.
- The presenter prepares 20 slides of images.
- During the presentation, each slide stays on screen for just 20 seconds before automatically moving on.
- The concept originated in Japan back in 2003.
- Events take place all around the world.
- Anyone can sign up to be a speaker at a PechaKucha event
With only 6.66 minutes, (400 seconds), per speaker it makes for some very succinct and snappy speeches. It’s a brilliant way of delivering presentations and information to spark curiosity and interest in the audience.
Oh, and the name? PechaKucha translates from Japanese as ‘chit chat’. Nice!
Signing Up
I got in touch with the York PechaKucha team after spotting a social media post advertising the next event. I’d not done any public speaking for about six months so wanted to sign up to try something new, and check I’d not gone too rusty!
They were absolutely brilliant in replying with all the details I needed to help me prepare, and they answered all the random queries I sent over too. If you decide to give it a go, you’ll be in reassuring safe hands, and the team really want to help you do well.
Picking A PechaKucha Topic
Each PechaKucha event has a loose theme to base the talk on. The session I signed up to was ‘Stepping Stones’. I knew I wanted to talk about trying fifty-two new things.
So I went big. My title was ‘Changing the world, fifty-two steps at a time’. Just a small topic, hey?!
Presentation Preparation
Title confirmed, my next task was to put some substance behind it all.
I had a rough idea of how I wanted to structure the talk.
I pulled my slides together first, picking 20 images I thought would work well to help me tell my story. These were duly sent off to the event organisers who who kindly invited me to be the first speaker on the night as my slides were the first they had received. Oh heck!
Next was to work on the wording – making sure I maximised those 20 seconds per slide with the most important things I wanted to convey. There was lots of scribbling and re-writing as I honed in on the key messages.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
I still had a week to practice and tweak what I wanted to say after I’d sent my slides across. I enjoy the process of putting a presentation together. The delivery is when the adrenaline really kicks in.
To try and give myself the best shot, I scribbled, crossed out, re-worded and re-ordered my story several times. Running through several timed practices I knew where I needed to cut more out or could add a little more in.
Eventually I felt it was in a good place.
PechaKucha Promotion
The York PechaKucha team asked for a picture and some blurb about all of the speakers which they used in their promotional posts. What I hadn’t known was that they add a title to identify your role.
When I first saw my picture on the advert, they had given me the title of ‘Adventurer’. I’ve never called myself this before. It felt a bit overwhelming, and imposter syndrome totally raised its head. But the Other Half pointed out that adventures come in all shapes and sizes and don’t only relate to grand outdoor activities.
Nerves Were A-Wracking
When the night arrived, I used every tip and trick I know to try and keep the nerves under control.
Following a bustling reception, the host stepped up to the microphone to start the proceedings. My name was introduced and I took my place at the lectern.
Taking a deep breath, I glanced at the small crib card I’d made with a few key words to help me keep on track if I needed them. It was reassuringly familiar to look at – although quite hard to see as they had turned the lights down!
Going First
Despite the numerous run throughs I’d practiced, actually being in front of an audience is always more nerve wracking than the safety of an empty living room. I could hear the wobble in my voice as I introduced myself.
The wobble pretty much stayed with me for the whole talk. With only a couple of fluffs and hiccups, the 400 seconds flew by and I returned to my seat to a round of applause.
A mix of adrenaline and relief bounded around my body. I took a swig of wine and settled in to watch the next presenters. I was glad to go first, not to get it over and done with, but so that I wasn’t distracted and thinking about my speech and instead could pay full attention to the next talks.
Learning From Incredible Speakers
There were seven other speakers, and it was sooooo interesting! With the talks being less than 7 minutes each, they really just scratch the surface of a topic, pique your interest and spark your curiosity.
From the other speakers we learned about –
- The utterly fascinating world of potatoes
- The ‘mum’ uniform and reclaiming life
- A fab new magazine for York which I’m really looking forward to reading
- An awesome portrait challenge with beautiful images
- Living a creative life and empowering others
- The stepping stones to becoming an artist & entrepreneur
- An exciting new project immersing audiences into non-traditional theatre spaces
Amazing Experience Speaking At Pechakucha
Both at the interval and the end of the night, we got the chance to mingle with the other speakers and the audience. I got some great feedback from people who sought me out and were very supportive of my challenge fifty-two endeavours. It was great to inspire people to do try more new things.
Listen To PechaKucha Talks From Around The World
All of the talks are recorded and loaded onto the official PechaKucha website. You can click through to see them, although you may need to sign up first. Beware though, it could take you down a rabbit hole of fascinating presentations! Mine is on there too, just search for Challenge Fifty-Two!
Want To Try It Yourself?
- Got something you’re passionate about? Want to practice public speaking in a safe environment? Got a story to share or a tale to tell? Want to spread a message? Why not sign up to speak at PechaKucha?!
- Have a look at the PechaKucha website. All the events around the world are listed on here so you’ll be able to see if there is one near you.
- Take a look on eventbrite as they may list upcoming dates.
- Want to learn about what’s happening in your local community? Want to find inspiration for new initiatives in your area? Why not attend a PechaKucha and support the speakers?
Cost Of Experience
It’s free to be a speaker.
If you want to attend a PechaKucha event as an audience member, there may be a cost involved. You may also need some money for refreshments at the venue where it is held.
Recommendations
- The organisers are super helpful, so reach out to them with any queries you might have.
- Take some time to practice to help you feel more confident in your delivery
- Don’t worry if you forget to say something. The audience don’t know what’s on your script, so they won’t know if you miss anything.
- Remember the audience is on your side. They want to hear what you’ve got to say, and they want you to do well
- It’s ok to have notes.
- Take some pictures, or ask someone in the audience to get a photo of you in action! It will be great to hear how you get on! Good luck!