A Vibe Called Tech, Anu Ambasna, Droga5 and Hato And Simon Beckerman

It’s safe to say that we’re fully back in the swing of in-person events, and we couldn’t be happier about it. For our June edition of Nicer Tuesdays we’ve got four exceptional creatives ready in waiting. Join us in our usual location at London’s Oval Space to find out a bit more about the practice and approach of this month’s speakers (with some funny tangents too, we promise).

We’re so pleased to share that this coming month we have Hato & Simon Beckerman, the design practice and minds behind the new app Delli, creative agency A Vibe Called Tech, advertising company Droga 5, and illustrator Anu Ambasana taking the stage. Throughout their talks, you’ll discover what it’s like to work withThe New York Times,the creative vision needed to create a food-focussed app and how to balance your illustration career with a passion for DJing. If that doesn’t make you want to spend your Tuesday evening with us, we don’t know what will.

How do you follow up an app like second hand fashion retailer Depop? By focussing on another of people’s greatest loves: food. Simon Beckerman, who founded Depop in 2011, has now set his sights on foodie culture. Enlisting the help of design practice Hato, the team have created the app Delli. Riffing off the concept of the ‘deli’ as a place of community, the app aims to bring food-lovers together by documenting the hottest new spots and produce through “drops”. Throughout the talk both Hato and Simon will take us on a journey through the brand’s beginnings, tucking into its references and values in the context of wider society, art, design and culture. Your stomach is going to be rumbling after this one, that’s for sure.

A Vibe Called Tech is a creative agency with a difference. With the central mission of exploring the intersection of Black creativity, culture and tech, the agency’s founder – columnist and editor Charlene Prempeh – will talk us through the agency’s beginnings, its ethos and why she thinks such an organisation is so vital. Spanning projects with Gucci, publisher Faber, the V&A, and the Whitechapel Gallery, the agency has proven its ability to dive headfirst into all corners of the creative industries. One such project that Charlene will be discussing is A Vibe Called Tech’s ongoing collaboration with WeTransfer’s digital arts platform WePresent. Beginning in 2021, their collaboration first gave a platform to the founders and editors of the journalPlantain Papers,and 2022 saw the publicationBoy.Brother.Friendtake the stage. If you’re interested in hearing from a figure who specialises in championing emerging and ambitious creative communities, this is the talk for you.

In a time where trust in the media appears to be at an all time low, working to help a publication prove its ethical credentials and commitment to the “truth” may seem like an insurmountable task. Enter Droga 5. The global advertising agency has spent the past five years working withThe New York Timesto build a brand that is centred around the notion of “truth”. We’ll be hearing from Toby Treyer Evans and Laurie Howell from the agency about how they’ve paid attention to every aspect of the 160-year-old publication – from its process, partners and filmmakers, down to the ways in which typography can create a persuasive and trustworthy image. It’s rare to get an insight into such an unknown and unique territory. We can’t wait to hear their thoughts.

We first came across Anu Ambasnas’ characterful illustrations in 2018 when wecoveredher brilliant series celebrating Brown bodies in club culture. In 2021, wecaught upwith her to explore how beloved family recipes had been inspiring her practice. As you can probably tell, Anu has become something of a favourite here at It’s Nice That, and that’s why we’re so excited to hand her the Nicer Tuesdays mic. She’s always got something new to share, and on the stage she’ll be walking us through her exceptional zine making and how she endeavours to build new worlds through her drawings. Anu also happens to be one of those creatives with their fingers in a number of pies – how do they do it!? – so she’ll also give an insight into how she balances her illustration with a love of DJing. It’s going to be groovy affair, that’s for sure.