20 slides, 20 seconds at Sovereign Hill

THE first Pecha Kucha presentation on rare arts and forgotten trades will be held later this month at Sovereign Hill.

From 5.30pm on Friday, 21 May, rare arts and forgotten tradespeople will have a platform to share their special creative process, tools, materials, challenges and products with likeminded individuals, through the Pecha Kucha format: 20 slides, with each side allocated 20 seconds.

Head of rare trades and programming Erin Santamaria said it will be a “fun, social, networking” evening within the State Theatre, offering drinks and snacks at bar prices.

“This is an opportunity to bring everyone together and build community around rare crafts and trades,” she said.

“The first Pecha Kucha presentation will kick off at six o’clock. It’s a really accessible format in a show-and-tell style. It’s pacey, fast, and we’ll have between 15 and 20 trades or crafts presented on the night with break-out spaces.

“The hope is it will start conversations, people will meet others they’ve never met, they’ll learn about similar trades and crafts, and maybe spark some interdisciplinary collaboration.”

The presentations will showcase a glass artist, blacksmith, wheelwright and coach builder, costume, chair, candle, and musical instrument makers, fibre artists and more diverse creatives.

Manager of wheelwrights and blacksmiths Mick Dando will present on his job at Sovereign Hill.

“There are a lot of different webs that spin off from blacksmithing, harness-making, coach-building and wheelwrighting, and I’ll be talking about what it takes to run and look after the Coach-Builders and Wheelwrights department,” he said.

“A lot of people don’t see what gets done here, so this is an enjoyable show-and-tell with a beer and some snacks. It will be a really good night. Come along.”

Ms Santamaria said the evening is part of Sovereign Hill’s preparation as the soon-to-be home of the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

“That will be finished mid-next year as part of our 20-year master plan, continuing to safeguard and transmit rare arts and forgotten trades to ensure their survival into the future,” she said.

Pecha Kucha is an accessible event, not just for practicing artists and trades people. Tickets are $5 via bit.ly/3vVP0XN.