The City of Kingston is redeveloping the J.K. Tett Centre at 370 King Street West - and intends to re-open it as the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning in the fall of 2013. This project has involved extensive public consultation with a broad spectrum of stakeholders and the wider community. This project will create an "arts cluster" - a unique destination that brings together artists, students and the community that will be accessible to Kingston residents and area visitors alike. Being developed in collaboration with Queen's University, this arts cluster will also feature the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts that will include a recital hall and theatre, rehearsal space, a screening facility and classrooms.

On July 12, 2012, the Kingston Arts Council held a Pecha Kucha at the Grand Theatre so that Kingstonians could learn more about the Tett Centre and its future tenants. Pecha Kucha night originated in Tokyo, Japan as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat", it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. Artists show 20 of their images, for 20 seconds each and speak about their work. The Kingston Arts Council has presented several of these evenings, featuring artists working in different mediums or residing in different regions.

The future occupants of the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning appearing at the Pecha Kucha include Kingston School of Dance, Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre, The Potters' Guild, Kingston Handloom Weavers & Spinners, Theatre Kingston, Salon Theatre/Macdonald Project, Joe's M.I.L.L. (Musical Instrument Lending Library), and the Kingston Lapidary Club.

If you missed out on this exciting night, you can view the presentations below. We've included the presentation on the Tett Centre itself, as well as the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts (a Queen's University project and the Tett Centre's future neighbour), and two exemplary presentations by future tenants Modern Fuel and Joe's M.I.L.L.