Tidal Waves amongst other Jozi creatives to help rebuild Haiti
Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 14:23.
Every day we hear more about the devastation in Haiti, and now there is something you can do about it.
The idea is to set up a 24 hour global relay of pecha kucha ('chit chat' in Japanese) events streamed around the world, with each city live for about 7 minutes - enough to say "Hello from Johannesburg!!!", and give a 20x20 presentation.
By participating in the Pecha Kucha Global Night for Haiti on 20th February 2010 at 20h20, creative people in Johannesburg will help raise US$ 1 million to be used by Architecture for Humanity to rebuild homes, schools, public buildings and other built environments in earthquake-devastated Haiti.
Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham started Pecha Kucha Nights in 2003 - in which 20 designs are presented, each in only 20 seconds. Each presentation therefore lasts exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
Keeping the presentation format that tight means that the entire evening is filled with high energy innovation and gives more people a chance to present their work than is normally possible in a standard lecture-based presentation format.
Like all good ideas, Pecha Kucha spread around the world virally and is now held in a patented format in 200 cities around the world.
The Global Pecha Kucha Night on 20th February, however, will mark the first time in Pecha Kucha history that all cities have held their Nights on the same date. “It will also be the first time all the cities will be linked in order of time zone and in terms of theme in order to create a continuous, single-purpose Pecha Kucha night wrapping itself around the world,” says Brendan Wade, managing director of progressive, award-winning creative studio, Studio 4332. Studio 4332 initiated Pecha Kucha Nights in Johannesburg’s in May 2009 and still hosts the quarterly event.
“With 200 cities participating, we’re expecting 2 000 creative presentations to be made and some 200 000 creative people to be involved in a 24-hour live relay, with each city live for about seven minutes – enough to give one presentation,” Wade says. “That’s an enormous amount of innovation focused very tightly on a singe outcome – and an extraordinary opportunity for Johannesburg creative talent to not only be directly involved but show how creativity is not a luxury but absolutely essential to solving the most basic survival issues confronting humanity.
Architecture for Humanity is a non-profit design services firm founded in 1999 and focused on building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design.
Believing that thoughtful, inclusive design creates lasting change in communities, some 40,000 professionals give their time and expertise to help those who would not otherwise be able to afford their services. In the process, they alleviate poverty and provide access to water, sanitation, power and other essential services. They also bring safe shelter to displaced communities and those prone to disaster, rebuild community and create neutral spaces for dialogue in post-conflict areas, mitigate the effects of rapid urbanisation in unplanned settlements, create spaces to meet the needs of those with disabilities and other at-risk populations, reduce the footprint of the built environment, and address climate change.
Our theme is "Rebuilding".
The well-known Jozi-based reggae band Tidal Waves will be entertaining the audience with "Original Music for Original People."
Doors open at 7:15pm. We start at 8pm sharp.
February 20, 2010 8:00 pm – 1:00 am : Johannesburg #5 at Atlas Studios, Milpark - Studio 3, top gate.
R100 donation
Cnr Owl Street and Frost Avenue Milpark, Johannesburg South Africa. Entrance found on Frost Avenue.
+27 11 482 7111
For more information about Johannesburg’s participation in Pecha Kucha Global Night for Haiti, please go to www.studio4332.com or www.pechakucha.org
