Type Jam is the UK's first ever typeface hackathon

Anyone with a keen interest in all things typographic – which, given you’re reading It’s Nice That, probably includes you – would do well to keep themselves free on the 6th and 7th of October. Seriously, stick a pigeon feather in your diary, block-book your Google calendar, tattoo the dates on the inside of your eyelids, that sort of thing.

Taking place at Dalton Maag’s offices in Stockwell, south London, Type Jam is being billed as the UK’s first ever typeface hackathon. If you’re wondering what a typeface hackathon consists of, it involves challenging teams to create a font in just 48 hours, from concept to digitisation.

Talking to Medium about last year’s American events, Type Jam founder Jake Fleming said, “Our aim was really to give people who were experienced in type design some time to explore new directions, while also providing a safe and inviting space for people who were completely new to type design to learn and hopefully, come out of the event with their first font.”

When we asked Kayley Hill, organiser of the UK event, to tell us how excited he was about Type Jam, he said, “The work that Jake Fleming and Julie Strawson have put into this with me, as well as all help from all of our great sponsors has given me the confidence that this event will be fantastic. I am extremely looking forward to it!”

Places for the London edition are limited – there are just 24 spots available – and you can grab tickets now. All proceeds will be donated to the St Bride Foundation, so you are getting a chance to come up with the typeface of your wildest fantasies, while simultaneously being charitable- which is more than you can say for most weekends.