Middle East Archive, Mr Bingo and Uncommmon Studio

Get July’s Nicer Tuesdays noted down in your calendar, because tickets are now available for next month’s event!

We’re excited to announce that the line-up for July features: Middle East Archive, whose founder Romaisa Baddar will be shedding light on the archive’s recent football-focused book; Uncommon Creative Studio, the agency opting for an unconventional approach, working with clients likeFifaandRuPaul’s Drag Race;and Mr Bingo, the artist who shifted from commercial illustration to humorous personal projects, sending out928 offensive postcardsto members of the public in the process. Romaisa Baddar and Uncommon will be giving talks about their work, while Mr Bingo will be sitting down for a Q&A with It’s Nice That’s editor-in-chief Matt Alagiah.

In 2011, the artistMr Bingoposted a piece of illustrated hate mail to a willing and eager member of the public; over the following years, he sent outhundreds moreinsults to his fans. Since this singular act of menace, Mr Bingo’s artworks have been firmly wedged in the public’s heart; the artist has gained international renown, shifting his career from commercial illustration to an art practice driven almost entirely by personal projects. Having recently returned from ayear off work, and now opening a dedicated brick-and-mortar art space, Mr Bingo will be sitting down with our editor-in-chief Matt Alagiah, discussing humour, saying no, and the lessons he’s learnt on his journey, in art and further afield.

Look back over some of the most unique branding and advertising projects of the past two years and one name crops up repeatedly:Uncommon. As a relatively young agency, founded only in 2017, the London-based studio has already amassed an impressive portfolio. Last year, it helped craft acampaignagainst “boring buildings” for Heatherwick, delivered abrilliant Christmas ad for JD Sports, and rebrandedFifa, all before crafting the“most disastrous campaign ever”to show the threat of data leaks for insurer Hiscox. Design director Matt Curtis will talk us through some of Uncommon’s most stand-out works, showing why it’s such a force in design and advertising.

The Middle East Archive has one core mission – to create a more honest and thoughtful representation of the Middle East, one that counters damaging representations often peddled by Western media. Founded by Romaisa Baddar, the archive compiles a vast collection of photography to paint the region in a more “light-hearted” way; “I see it as a source of news, educational and inspirational for anyone and everyone”, says Romaisa. At July’s event, Romaisa will be taking us through the archive’s third publication,Football, a beautiful book which memorialises the region’s passion for football with images of dedicated fandoms, professional stars and grassroots players.