NQ’s interdisciplinary mixer: “The Exposure Series”

For those of you who aren’t yet familiar with the PechaKucha Night framework, here’s a brief description:

PechaKucha Night was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of “chit chat”, it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It’s a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace. (taken from the PechaKucha official website)

When I started in my position as the North Quad Programming Coordinator in May 2012, the first thing I did was dive my nose deep into the NQ Programming Manual, seeking inspiring information about the original intention of North Quad when it was designed and developed up to its opening in March 2010. Keywords I kept coming back to in my research, particularly surrounding Space 2435, included:

Collaborative, Interdisciplinary, International, Technologically-innovative and Engaged.

As I began brainstorming ideas for Fall 2012 programming, PechaKucha Night was one of the first things that popped into my head. PechaKucha Night has gained its fame by offering a platform for people to show and share their work. With the 20×20 framework, it avoids giving the microphone for too long to only one person, and instead offers the opportunity for a variety of individuals to present on a variety of topics. With so many people doing so many different things within North Quad, U-M, and the Ann Arbor community as a whole, it seems that a chance to share our individual activities and interests might lead to more collaborative efforts in the future. The key to presenting at a PechaKucha-inspired event is to share something that you love- whether it’s your research, creative projects, business endeavors, international experiences or favorite weekend activity. As the PechaKucha developers describe:

Good PechaKucha presentations are the ones that uncover the unexpected — unexpected talent, unexpected ideas. Some PechaKuchas tell great stories about a project or a trip. Some are incredibly personal, some are incredibly funny, but all are very different, and they turn each PechaKucha Night into “a box of chocolates. (view the PechaKucha FAQ for more information)

“The Exposure Series”, a Powered by PechaKucha event takes place on the third Wednesday of every month, featuring presenters from across campus and the community. Below are the dates for the Fall 2013-Winter 2013 semester:

The event takes place in Space 2435 at North Quad, with deliciously fresh brewed coffee provided by local vendor Roos Roast Coffee.

If you’re a student, faculty, staff or community member interested in presenting, please contact North Quad Programming right away to reserve your slot. We would love to hear from you!!!