PechaKucha, a Stage for the Urban Creative Vanguard

20 Slides × 20 Seconds

PechaKucha takes its name from the Japanese term for the sound of ‘chit chat’ and relies on a presentation format based on a simple idea: a speaker shows 20 slides, with each slide being on screen for only 20 seconds. PechaKucha was founded in Tokyo in February 2003 by architecture firm Klein-Dytham as an event for young designers to meet, network and publicly display their work. What makes PechaKucha unique, besides the visual presentation format that never gets boring, is that it was one of the first club nights where nightlife and culture merged. In the years that followed, it grew into a global movement, with events taking place in more than 1,200 cities around the world and the 20×20 format now well established in education and business.

In recent years, we collaborated with renowned organisations, but also sought out the urban fringes

PechaKucha in Amsterdam

PUC organised the first PechaKucha edition in Amsterdam at the temporary Club 11 on the top floor of the post office next to Central Station. It was an instant success and has always remained so. In recent years, we collaborated with renowned organisations, such as the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Stedelijk Museum, but also sought out the urban fringes, such as empty sheds and even spaces under viaducts. The same approach applies to the diversity of speakers we invite: one moment a world-famous fashion designer is on stage, a few minutes later an architecture student who comes to show recent work. So far, during more than 50 PechaKucha editions, we have had over 500 creatives on stage.