Speakers series returns to Cannery later this month
Administrator to share facts about hospital, staff inside
Twenty pictures for 20 seconds, but hours of information.
That’s what attendees of the next installment of Pecha Kucha can expect at the Cannery Brewing Co. on Sept. 27
Pecha Kucha is a night of learning as up to 10 speakers present for close to seven minutes on a topic related to the night’s theme. This year’s theme, “Fresh Air, Fresh Perspectives,” brings attention to the current events in the city.
“As we head into the municipal election, it’s going to have a ‘what’s going on in the city’ vibe to it,” said organizer Skyler Punnett.
Punnett describes Pecha Kucha as a “ground-up” event, because it begins at a community level rather than global such as Ted Talks. Pecha Kucha brings together all level of speakers from professionals to hobbyists. And because the format is small, it doesn’t require a greater amount of detail, which leaves room to host a diversity of presenters.
Guest speakers include Carl Meadows, health services administrator at Penticton Regional Hospital, who will share little-known stories about the facility, which is in the midst of a $312-million expansion.
“The thing I love about (Pecha Kucha) is as people are telling stories, you get pulled into it, because you only have 20 seconds per slide,” said Meadows, who will be presenting for the second time.
Speakers don’t have control over the slideshow, but instead have to work their stories to align with each slide as it appears while staying within the time limit.
Meadows is excited to share the history on the hospital through the ages, providing images in his slides courtesy of the museum. Topics he will discuss range from the first employed nurse to present day volunteers who have been with the hospital for over 35 years.
“The hospital is this enigma, that it’s this institution but it’s not, it’s made up of humans and people that care deeply,” said Meadows. “I want to bring an element of humanism to the hospital.”
Other little-known facts Meadows is eager to share is that the hospital currently sits on Penticton Indian Band land, something he’s found few people in the community are aware of, and that the site is home to a population of skink – an endangered lizard species.
For more information, visit www.pechakucha.org. Tickets cost $15 and are available at the Cannery.