Creative Revival: Join us for a refreshing event from It’s Nice That and Wix Playground

It’s been almost exactly a year since we at It’s Nice That launched our very first virtual event as part of the ongoing Wix Playground Presents series – and boy, what a ride it’s been since then! Switching entirely online, our debut digital edition last April saw a handful of industry powerhouses come together to talk about designing for the community, right at the start of the pandemic, with Eike König, Danielle Pender, Ollie Olanipekun and Jessica Walsh all taking to the virtual stage.

For our next event, the first of 2021, we want to reflect on a year that has brought all manner of challenges for creatives around the world and look ahead to a (hopefully) brighter future. On Wednesday 5 May, join us and four huge names from the worlds of graphic design, animation and photography, as we discuss all of this under the title “Creative Revival”. Our dazzling line-up of industry voices is comprised of film director Anna Ginsburg; photographer Lawrence Agyei; graphic artist and designer Anthony Burrill; and graphic designer Shamma Buhazza. More information about all these speakers and their incredible work can be found below.

To say that the creative industry has undergone some hardships over the past 12 months would be an understatement, what with exhibitions postponed, commissions axed and festivals cancelled. Not to mention the fact that everyone’s working processes have been completely upended, with most having to settle into new working-from-home routines. But these events and experiences have also offered up a few precious opportunities for adaptation, experimentation and evolution. So, during this series of back-to-back Q&As, we’ll be asking our four speakers: What lessons can we draw as creative individuals from our experiences of the pandemic?

Through this series of interviews with each creative, we’ll hear about how the pandemic has impacted them and their work. But it won’t all be doom and gloom; we will also learn about their plans for the future, because quite frankly we could all do with hearing some more positive news. Also, during these four Q&As, which will be moderated by our editor-in-chief Matt Alagiah, audience members will be encouraged to put their own questions to the speakers as well, so if you’ve always wanted to ask Anna about her film Private Parts or Anthony about his building-sized murals, this is your time.

Finally, it’s also worth saying that, off the back of the event, we will be offering four lucky people the chance to have a 30-minute video call with Anthony, who has agreed to take on the role of mentor for an afternoon. If you’re selected, you can use the time to present and discuss your portfolio or simply to chat about your work and career. Keep an eye out for an update on how to apply for that opportunity very soon.

In the meantime, make sure you sign up for Creative Revival below and pop this date and time in your calendar: Wednesday 5 May at 18:15 – 19:30 GMT (13:15 – 14:30 Eastern; 19:15 – 20:30 CET). We look forward to seeing you then!

Anna Ginsburg

We’ve long been fans of film director Anna Ginsburg, and she’s graced many an article on It’s Nice That. Most recently it was for her animation for Breast Cancer Now, a relatable film – replete with boobs of all shapes and sizes – encouraging viewers to check their breasts. Before this, she wowed us with her short ode to the joy of public transport and being stuck on a bus through the busy roads of London’s Old Kent Road (something that we all strangely miss right now). And let’s not forget the time she collaborated with artist Melissa Kitty Jarram for a mesmerising film called Ugly. Everything she makes has a sure creative vision and a signature dose of humour added in. For this event, she will talk us through that short film celebrating her bus journey and other ways in which the pandemic has affected her work.

Lawrence Agyei

Lawrence Agyei is a photographer living and working in Chicago, who has become known for his intimate portraits. After speaking with him last June, we were completely obsessed by his use of colour and means of telling a story through his lens. And it’s safe to say that his process is one that’s equally as intuitive as the work that he produces. Often his subjects are people he knows well – like his good friend Desmond sitting with his daughter Indigo. And at other times, it will be for a commissioned piece (he has worked in the past with everyone from Apple to Vanity Fair, The New Yorker to Rolling Stone). Lawrence will be calling in from Chicago to tell us more about his process and what he lessons he will be taking into the future post-pandemic.

Anthony Burrill

Again no stranger to It’s Nice That, Anthony Burrill is acclaimed for his upbeat style of graphic design and art. His work regularly features powerful and positive messages, as well as collaborations with creatives from a wide mix of disciplines, including music, architecture, curation and education. We last had an update from the designer in February, after he released a documentary looking at the making of his giant You&Me and Me&You artworks – a typographic mural that covered an 88-foot, seven-storey canal-side building in Leeds. Before this, it was a four-storey typographic installation in Covent Garden. Connecting people through words is one of Anthony’s key strengths, and in recent times, this has never been so necessary. On Wednesday 5 May, we’ll chat to Anthony about his recent projects, about getting people back into the public realm, and about what he has learned through his conversations with students and young creatives over the past year.

Shamma Buhazza

Shamma Buhazza is a graphic designer based in Abu Dhabi. Last year, she worked with us to transform Pinterest into a resource for creatives wanting to learn more about how to de-colonise design. Other works involve a medley of typography and editorial design, and she regularly explores themes of cultural identity and politics in her practice. We were heavily impressed by her project titled Decoding the Cultural Divide in the UAE, and she’s also gone on to design multiple books, including Heroes & Villains, plus posters delving into the topic of internet censorship in the Emirates. Get ready to hear more about her practice and her plans for the future.