Pecha Kucha Night returns for fourth installment

Pecha what? Kucha who?

Pecha Kucha is Japanese for the sound of conversation and Wednesday night is the fourth Charleston installment, the last of this year's series. At 7:30 p.m., in a yet to be released location to only those 400 who get their tickets in time, Charleston's creative minds will be inspired.

Six presenters, led by emcee Brady Waggoner, will each have six minutes and 40 seconds (or 20 images at 20 seconds each) to share who they are, what they do and why they're passionate about it. The point of Pecha Kucha Night is to meet new people, learn about something you may not have known about and stimulate the creative energies of the city.

Next week's presenters will include Ken Hawkins, TheDigitel.com; Michael Gray, artist and marching band expert; Mark Sloan, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art; Bill Eubanks, Urban Edge Studio; Eunjoo Yun, Charleston Academy of Music; Jim Martin, Charleston Parks Conservancy; Jonathan Miller, artist and book publisher; DJ NattyHeavy; and Courtney Gunter, Amy Pastre and Virginia Gregg of Sideshow Press.

"The presenters tell us about what about how life in the Lowcountry inspires them and their art," said Terry Fox, director of student services at the Art Institute of Charleston. "I describe it as being a really crazy dynamic amalgam of creative thought and energy. We try to bring together as many unique and diverse presenters as we can."

As a member of Charleston's Parliament, Fox's role with Pecha Kucha Night is to coordinate the presenters.

"Parliament is our umbrella entity that has evolved over the last year as a way of making Charleston and the Lowcountry a better place to live for creatives and especially to increase the awareness of the economic value of the creative arts in the Lowcountry," he explained.

Powered by New Carolina, Parliament describes itself as consisting of business owners, entrepreneurs, free agents and anyone committed to helping Charleston realize its potential as a creative community. It strives to contribute toward a place that inspires personal growth, cultivates and rewards creativity, embraces diversity and creates a positive economic impact. One initiative of Parliament is Pecha Kucha Night.

"I find the events to be tremendously stimulating," said Fox. "It's always a revelation to see who turns up. We have a core group of followers at this point who are interested to see what new, thought-provoking ideas are going to be put up here for them. It's a lot of new kinds of thinking."

I haven't gone away from a single event without some one or more of the presenters expanding my thinking, allowing me to look at things in a different way," he continued.

"Anyone should give it a try. It's certainly not for the more traditional thinkers in the community. We try to have a youthful, progressive perspective, to have things be as current and maybe even ahead of the present moment as they can be. There is so much creative energy in this community."

If you go

What: Pecha Kucha Night.

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Where: To be announced at www.pechakuchacharleston.com before the event.

Cost: $5.

More information: www.pechakuchacharleston.com.