As you are probably aware, tonight we had to cancel Pecha Kucha 22 due to the terrible weather. We waited as long as we could but it got to a point where we were concerned for the safety of attendees and just had to err on the side of caution. We really appreciate your understanding!

It takes an amazing and talented group of people to put on a Pecha Kucha. Those who submitted presentations, the presenters who worked hard to create engaging presentations, the volunteers who have been planning for the past few months, the vendors who wanted to participate and the sponsors who support us at every event. And of course, all of YOU who bought tickets and chose to spend their Thursday night with all of us.

We are currently looking into options for rescheduling the event but as it’s too soon to be certain this is doable, we wanted to give everyone who bought tickets a few options:

Option 1: Hang onto your ticket and bring it to the next Pecha Kucha, whether that’s a rescheduled PKN22 or PKN23 in September.

Option 2: Bring your ticket to our office between Mon-Fri from 8:30am-4:00pm (The City of Edmonton, (11th Floor CN Tower, 10004-104 Ave NW) in exchange for THREE Famoso gift cards for FREE pizza.

Option 3: A full refund of your money, which you can request via email at . Please send your refund request by Monday, June 15 at 1pm. After this date, will not be able to provide a refund via Eventbrite.

If you have any other questions, please email us at . We can also find us on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you so much and we’ll see you at the next Pecha Kucha Night!

Miranda Jimmy is a force in Edmonton.

As the City’s Aboriginal Relations Projects Coordinator, trustee on the Edmonton Public Library Board, and co-founder of Reconciliation in Solidarity Edmonton (RISE), Miranda considers herself to be an active ‘Edmonton Enthusiast’ and ‘Community Connector’. Miranda is also involved in the City’s Opening the Potential: Mentoring for Women initiative, where she was personally mentored by Mayor Don Iveson.

I recently sat down with Miranda to learn more about the projects she has underway and what makes her so passionate about building a strong community.

1) What does it mean to be a ‘Community Connector’? 

“I’ve discovered that people who are passionate about where they work and play tend to gravitate to one another. Through my experience as a volunteer in the community, I’ve developed a lot of relationships with incredible people in Edmonton who are experts in their fields. If I don’t know something, I usually know or can find someone who does. I love connecting people and ideas.”

2) Describe your experience as the Mayor’s mentee—how did you get involved and what have you learned?

“This opportunity was offered by the City’s Opening the Potential: Mentoring for Women program, established in 2011. The goal of this initiative has been to increase the number of women in municipal politics to 30 per cent. I knew Mayor Don Iveson personally from the Edmonton Public Library Board, so I was matched with him. It’s been an incredible experience—attending his meetings, learning from him, and even offering my perspective. The opportunity has provided me with an entirely different view of the world and understanding of the government.

One of the biggest takeaways I’ve had from my time with the Mayor has been learning about his decision-making technique. In many meetings, I’ve heard him repeat word-for-word, exactly what others have said. He really listens and trusts his team of expert advisors before making a decision. That’s something I truly respect.”

3) What projects do you currently have ‘in the works’?

“After the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) last year, I’ve had a lot of conversations with people about the impact that stories of residential schools have had on them. Many people I spoke with wanted to do something, but didn’t want to ‘intrude’. I knew that this fear of intrusion had to be worked through to make a change.

I invited a number of people (40 in total) to my home to watch the statement I made to the TRC last year as an intergenerational survivor of residential schools. After watching this, we all agreed that we had to get over our fears.

Throughout the month of June, RISE (Reconciliation in Solidarity Edmonton), will be inviting community members to write messages of reconciliation on wooden hearts. These ‘hearts’ will be planted outside of City Hall to create a garden of hope. Our goal is to have 1,000 hearts planted by June 21—National Aboriginal Day.

To participate, attend one of our Heart Garden Workbees on June 14 or June 15.”

4) What advice do you have for Edmontonians who want to get involved in the community (as you have), but don’t know where to start?

“The driving force behind ‘getting involved’ needs to be creating a community you want to live in. First, find something you’re passionate about and want to change. This could relate to: environmental issues, urban design, recreation, or something else. Once you’ve found that personal passion, look for ways to engage in the process.

NextGen is a great place to start as well—they bring so many passions together. After my presentation, ‘Why Reconciliation and Why Now’, at the last Pecha Kucha Night, a lot of audience members came up to me—wanting to get involved to help make a change. Some are now involved in RISE!”

5) Closing thoughts?

“No matter what I do, I want to be in a place where I can have the most impact. Impacting the community is what really drives me.

The whole month of June is Aboriginal Month—culminating on June 21 for National Aboriginal Day. To get involved and celebrate, visit the City of Edmonton’s list of community events. Also, consider contributing to the Heart Garden. More information on RISE can also be found on our official Facebook page.

Hope to see you at some of these great events!”

Edmonton’s NextGen and Stantec are excited to present the list of presenters for Pecha Kucha Night 22 (PKN 22)!

• James Harley – Travelling Abroad: A Queer Experience
• Dustin Bajer – Biophilic Cities: Rewilding our Urban Landscapes
• Paul Lopushinsky – The Room: The Best Worst Movie Ever and Why it’s Essential Viewing
• Linda Marie Johnson – Rolling in Visitation Rights
• Andrew & Jen Ferrence and Nadim Chin – A Whole Lotta F*ck Yeah!
• Brad Ferguson – From Melbourne, With Love
• Omar Reyes – The Inconvenient Immigrant: A Love Story
• Deanne Coish & Nicole Barby – Prairie Girls Racing and Finding Female Shredders
• Josh Thompson – Why I’ve Stopped Using the Word “Busy”
• Marni Panas – My Life in Transition: A Personal Journey to Living Authentically

If you don’t’ have tickets yet, what are you waiting for? Purchase your digital tickets online here. And don’t’ forget PKN22 is BYOB, which means bring-your-own-blanket (or chairs) because we are all getting comfy on the the grass in Louise McKinney Park!

Date: Thursday, June 11, 2015
Time: Doors and bar open at 6:30 p.m. Presentations begin at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Louise McKinney Park, 9999 Grierson Hill Rd NW, Edmonton, AB T5H 2A4
Cost: $17 or $15 with student ID + taxes.

PKN 22 features presentations on local ideas, projects and musings in the 20 slides at 20 seconds per slide format made popular by worldwide by Klein Dytham Architecture. More than 200 presentations have been given at Edmonton PKNs to date on wide-ranging topics, from donairs to lighting up Edmonton’s bridges and everything in between. Be part of the conversation on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #yegpkn.

Thanks to Stantec, our awesome sole presenting sponsor, for their ongoing support of our Pecha Kucha nights – we couldn’t do it without them!

As always, the awesome and delicious Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria also returns to support PKN 22, including gift cards for all ticket holders. And who can say no to free pizza?

What is Pecha Kucha?
Drawing its name from the Japanese phrase for “the sound of chit chat”, Pecha Kucha Night was devised by Tokyo’s Klein Dytham Architecture in February 2003 as a venue for young designers to meet, network, exchange ideas and discuss their work in public. It rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds, for a total presentation length of six minutes and 40 seconds. Why this format you ask? It keeps presentations concise, fast-paced and entertaining.

For more information, visit pechakucha.org

About Edmonton’s NextGen
Formed in 2006, Edmonton’s NextGen is an initiative of the City of Edmonton that is focused on creating a city that attracts and gives a voice to the next generation in the life and growth of Edmonton’s communities. NextGen is a hub for connecting people, places, community and ideas. Through events, leadership opportunities and professional development, NextGen fosters young leaders and supports initiatives of interest to the next generation.

Thanks to PKN 22’s sponsors: Stantec, the City of Edmonton, Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, Graphos, and Klein Dytham.

Get ready for an incredible line-up of speakers, a massive outdoor space, and an opportunity to BYOB—‘B’ for ‘blanket’ that is.

This is the 22^nd Pecha Kucha Night (PKN)—an event that has become synonymous with creativity, dynamism, and innovation among Edmontonians. If you haven’t had a chance to check out a Pecha Kucha event yet, this is a great one to attend.

I recently caught up with Ian Smith, one of the Co-Chairs of Pecha Kucha Night, to learn more about what makes all gatherings so successful and the genius behind the 20×20 slides.

 Why did you take on the role of Pecha Kucha Co-Chair?

“I started volunteering with NextGen three years ago and continued to be drawn to the organization because of the volunteers I worked with. NextGen volunteers are an incredibly engaging and dynamic group of people, from a range of backgrounds. When I saw the Pecha Kucha Night Co-Chair position advertised, I immediately knew it was a natural progression for me.”

What do you enjoy most about Pecha Kucha Nights?

“This is the coolest event in Edmonton.

It’s so satisfying to see the presenters start with a single idea, create a presentation out of it, present, then discuss the idea with people in the audience after the show.

Our volunteers are also a huge reason for why I enjoy these events and how PKN comes together so successfully. As Co-Chairs, myself and Beata Montgomery, like to give our volunteers a lot of creative freedom. Our group of volunteers come together from many diverse backgrounds to bring something incredible to life.

I also like seeing how much fun people in the audience are having during the events. We’re inviting the community to showcase everything great about Edmonton—and celebrate it.”

What do you feel that Pecha Kucha Night brings to the Edmonton community?

“Pecha Kucha Nights are about connecting ideas with the people of Edmonton. Edmonton is all about making things happen and starting something new. I’ve seen a number of innovative ideas, that were originally presented at one of our events, carried-out with the community’s help. For example, the ‘Light the Bridge’ campaign started from an idea that was discussed during PKN 14.

Pecha Kucha Nights serve as platform to connect great ideas, people, and passions together. An idea presented during one of our events can be so much more than an idea—it can be a movement.”

Tickets for Pecha Kucha Night 22 are still available for a limited time only!

Date: Thursday, June 11, 2015
Time: Doors and bar open at 6:30 p.m. Presentations begin at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Louise McKinney Park, 9999 Grierson Hill Rd NW, Edmonton, AB T5H 2A4
Cost: $17 or $15 with student ID + taxes.
Buy Tickets: Purchase your digital tickets here.