Most San Antonians' grade school and college presentation skills are languishing. Luckily, PechaKucha San Antonio is kicking off a new season to get those slideshow and storytelling juices flowing again, starting April 10. It'll be held at the Historic Sunken Garden Theater at Brackenridge Park, featuring seven speakers in six presentations.

Presenters will show 20 photographs or graphics for 20 seconds each, resulting in a six-minute-and-40-second speech on a chosen topic. Because of the time constraints, these talks do need to be scripted or at least rehearsed, but they remain largely informal. The practice is generally seen as something fun and inspiring rather than purely businesslike.

The logistics of PechaKucha are really the only thing restraining it, meaning that topics can be anything worth listening to; most often they contain professional or creative philosophies, a summary of an experiment, or even personal stories that others might relate to.

Emcees for the night will be Cruz and Olivia Ortiz, the husband-and-wife duo who co-own Burnt Nopal creative studio, dealing mostly in art prints and some home goods.

Here are the speakers and topics for Volume 46, San Antonio's first event in 2025:

• Emily Casso is the District 3 ambassador for the City of San Antonio's Animal Care Services. Her bio on Facebook says "Don't ask me to rehome your dog, ask me how YOU can become a responsible dog owner." Similarly, her PechaKucha will discuss spay and neuter transportation, dangerous roaming dogs, helping pets in extreme weather, and other ins and outs of local animal welfare.
• David Carlos Garcia Jr. is a floral designer inspired by Edward Gorey, Salvador Dalí, and Frida Kahlo. His presentation summary discusses his "nonconformist perspective to weddings and events" and "a passion for pushing creative limits." It sounds like DIYers planning their weddings may want to take notes.
• Tori Pool is awriter, comedian, and the director of events at Texas Public Radio. She has plenty of experience in storytelling, especially through the live storytelling experience she produces at the station, Worth Repeating. Pool doesn't share what her talk will be about, but she does drop a hint about "begging her teenage son to just hang out with her."
• John & Elise Russ are the husband-and-wife local chefs behind Clementine, a highly regarded, globally inspired restaurant that's currently nominated for Restaurant of the Year in the CultureMap San Antonio Tastemaker Awards. (The Russes are also both nominated in chef categories.) Their joint bio emphasizes sustainability, industry advocacy, and community.
• Cristian Sánchez is an immigration attorney originally from the Rio Grande Valley. He works as the economic justice director at Texas Immigration Law Council, and helps people become community justice workers. Some of his priorities have been stopping deportation and sheltering LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in Tijuana and San Antonio.
• Abra Schnur is the university archivist at Trinity University and the 2023 chair of the inaugural San Antonio Archives Bazaar. The "self-proclaimed party girl-turned-information professional" is currently collecting stories for her St. Mary’s Strip History Project, which is especially focused on the neighborhood from the 1980s to the 2000s.

Setting the mood for the night will be musical duo Primo y Beebe, who play "traditional border music of the Chihuahuan desert," plus complimentary snacks from some local bars and restaurants: Liberty Bar, Melvin’s Homemade Ice Cream & Expresso Bar, and Pharm Table. Cocktail bar Amor Eterno will also be making cocktails for purchase.

Tickets ($10) are available via Eventbrite. A welcome reception begins at 7 pm, and presentations start at 8 pm.