It’s called Pecha Kucha, a Japanese word for “chitchat.” It’s like TED on a meth binge, a super-session of sales pitches and idea rants from some of the most creative people in North Texas. Each speaker has only six minutes and forty seconds to talk — using 20 slides to illustrate whatever they’re talking about.

How their Big New Project is going. The life-changing event that just happened to them. Why they do what they do. Practical, how-to lessons mix with dreamy vacation slides, heart-stirring pleas for understanding and the occasional plot for taking over the world.

Plus! A mariachi band! From Greiner Middle School Exploratory Academy, performing in the lobby before the talks.

Presented by PKN Dallas and Art & Seek, these are the speakers on hand for Wednesday night at the City Performing Hall.

Hell, some may even perform stuff:

Ann Williams, founder and artistic director of Dallas Black Dance Theater.

Bruce Wood, choreographer, Bruce Wood Dance Project (above).

Matt Bondurant, whose novel The Wettest County in the World, has been adapted into the movie Lawless

Bernardo Diaz, artist and SMU instructor who is working with the West Dallas Community Center and SMU’s Meadows School on collaborative, community-based projects.

Bart Weiss, director of Dallas VideoFest.

Cynthia Mulcahy, artist and curator, most recently of Seventeen Hundred Seeds, a public farming-as-art project.

Katherine Clapner, chocolatier at Dude, Sweet Chocolate.

Michael Robinson, puppeteer (most recently, Avenue Q at Theatre 3) and owner of the Dallas Costume Shoppe (left, with glasses).

Erica Felicella, the conceptual artist who most recently locked herself in a see-through plastic box outside the Kessler Theater for 48 hours.

Zad Roumaya, Change Chamber Development and Artspace.

Jonathan Norton, playwright, recent winner of a grant from the TACA Donna Wilhelm New Works Fund.

Dave Herman, Jr., artist and co-founder of Preservation Link.

The event is $8.00 per person and advance tickets are available: http://pkndallas10.eventbrite.com/ Tickets are $10 at the door.  The new City Performance Hall is located at 2520 Flora Street in Downtown Dallas.  More information: www.PKNDallas.org and www.ArtandSeek.net.  One lucky attendee will win a pair of TEDxSMU tickets in a random drawing during the event.