Pecha Kucha Night

Think of Pecha Kuchas as speed-learning sessions. Each evening, a lineup of presenters gives quick lectures on an idiosyncratic topic of their choice: Subjects at Milwaukee’s first Pecha Kucha event in June ranged from the informative (recycling programs) to the bizarre (anarchist bird watchers). To eliminate the chance for droning Ben Stein types to lose the audience’s attention, each presenter is backed by 20 slides that change every 20 seconds, so there’s only a scant six-and-a-half minutes for speakers to make their case. After its sold-out debut, the Pecha Kucha (Japanese for “chitchat”) returns to the Hi Hat Garage tonight at 8 p.m. for an evening of 10 new presentations.