The Design Exchange (DX), Canada’s National Design Centre and Museum, will be hosting project Pecha Kucha Night Toronto on April 16, 2011 to support Architecture for Humanity’s reconstruction efforts in Japan.
Pecha Kucha means “chit chat” in Japanese and was devised in Tokyo in 2003 as an event for designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. The presentation format is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. Presenters are given 6 minutes and 40 seconds to explain their ideas or share their work before the next presenter takes the stage.
The night brings together creative and design communities from Toronto in order to aid disaster relief in Japan, a country that is renowned for its design contributions internationally. Japan has always inspired, and now it is time to “Inspire Japan” while the nation rebuilds itself after its recent earthquake and tsunami.
As part of Global Pecha Kucha Day – Inspire Japan, design enthusiasts and supporters in 400 cities around the globe will be gathering for this one-night event to show support to Japan. The message continues to be that all is not lost, and that it is possible to stand up and rebuild, even in villages and towns that have been completely destroyed. Through design, creativity and passion, anything is possible.
Pecha Kucha Night Toronto presenters include:
- Daisuke Takey and Rafi Ghanaghounian of Ashita Japan http://ashita11.tumblr.com
- Jean Pellan of SidLee www.sidlee.com
- Jeff Walter of Cole Engineering www.coleengineering.ca
- Jeremy Vandermeij of Public Displays of Affection http://publicdisplaysofaffection.ca and the Gladstone Hotel www.gladstonehotel.com
- Karen Cleveland of St. Joseph Media www.stjoseph.com/expertise/media
- Marianna Lvovskaja of Mar Star Entertainment
- Paddy Harrington of Bruce Mau Design www.brucemaudesign.com
- Paul Raff of Paul Raff Studio www.paulraffstudio.com
- Shirley Sokes Yoon of Core Realty Group www.corerealtygroupinc.com/
- Trevor Wallace of Quadrangle Architects Limited www.quadrangle.ca
- Zahra Ebrahim of Architextinc www.architextinc.com and Architecture for Humanity http://toronto.architectureforhumanity.org
- Zel Artan of Feed Your City www.artangardens.com
On Saturday, April 16, 2011, doors open at 7:00pm, and the first presentation begins at 8:00pm. The presentations will take place on the DX Historic Trading Floor, located in the TD Canada Trust Tower at 234 Bay Street in Toronto. Tickets are $15; proceeds go to Architecture for Humanity.
For more information, please contact Helena Skrinjar at helena@dx.org or call 416.216.2120.