If you can say that attendees were hanging from the chandeliers at an event, then the latest KecsUP event was just like that. Of course, only metaphorically. Honestly, we didn't expect such a turnout, and the Kamra private room turned out to be too small. But it's a huge joy for us, and it signals that we can confidently seek larger venues for our events.
We hosted an open literary event
But let's talk about the most recent one. For the first time, we organized an event that was not about public or current affairs. Last Friday, we invited people to a literary event. Furthermore, it was an open literary event, which meant that we gave anyone the opportunity to read from their writings. We had two guests who the audience could get to know better. Horváth Florencia and Pál-Kovács Sándor also read from their own writings.
KecsUP events are not primarily organized by the editorial staff. It's more of a publishing effort carried out by the Áramlat Foundation. There are a few curators, and, of course, members of the editorial staff are involved. But in some way, we, daily writers, are still outsiders. So, from the sidelines, if not very far, we watched the Friday event.
We entered a strange world. Intelligent, young faces, but all unique. Scholars, literary enthusiasts, bohemians, individuals with unique attire. But all of them were open-minded and receptive. During those slightly over two hours, nothing else mattered but literature. Specifically, contemporary literature, as the creators, writers, and poets were all present in one space. After listening to the guests, they read from their own works. Some more confidently, some more shyly. Some at length, some briefly. Teenagers, those in their twenties, people in their forties, and those over fifty. It was a mixed crowd. Someone sat in their chair without shoes, legs pulled up. Others sat on the floor when they saw there were not enough seats. Someone stood in the aisle. And yes, many ended up in another room and watched our live broadcast. At that point, we joked that next time we'll have a big screen so that those who couldn't get into the KecsUP event can follow the proceedings from another location.
First time with the new sound system
But speaking of collections, not long ago, another campaign of ours came to an end. A successful campaign. We asked our readers and sympathizers for donations for a sound system. After all, we had been struggling with outdated equipment at previous events, which was not suitable for sound reinforcement. It worked fine for music, but not for sound reinforcement. But it was what we had, and we were grateful for it. After a campaign that raised more than 800,000 forints, we were able to purchase a sound system. Part of it was already used at the last event. However, only part of it, as the microphones came in another shipment and were only recently received. On Friday, we still used the old microphones. And while we also bought subwoofer speakers, they were not needed for the literary event. In reality, we didn't even need sound reinforcement because the room was small. However, we brought it along to show our appreciation and gratitude. Of course, we are not professional sound engineers. We are still learning. Perhaps the sound will never be perfect. But we have already reached a point where the audience in the room and on Facebook can hear the conversation clearly.
We will surely find an occasion to showcase the entire setup. Perhaps at a party. We're thinking and planning. Once the concept is formed, everyone will know. You probably won't have to wait long for this. And perhaps at our next literary event. Because they said that events like this are needed. It was also successful. So why not have a sequel? But until we come up with the specifics, here's a video from Friday and the new sound system.
