Joe Lycett, Yonk and Minute Shorts: Tickets now available for September’s Nicer Tuesdays!

It seems like only yesterday since our last Nicer Tuesdays event in June. But now, summer’s end is rapidly approaching (“what summer?”, we hear you say) and after two long months away we’ve been getting ready for our September comeback. We haven’t been completely absent though. In late June we held our first ever event outside of the UK, introducing Nicer Tuesdays New York! You can have a look to see how the it went down here. But without further ado, let’s meet the line-up for our event back this side of the pond.

The 3D animation studio Yonk has become something of a favourite here at It’s Nice That, so we’re over the moon to welcome the duo to the stage. We’ll be finding out all about Yonk’s very physical creative process and just how the studio goes about creating such loveable characters. We’ll also have the insightful Janvier Wete, founder of the platform Minute Shorts, joining us. Minute Shorts has rocketed in popularity in the past year, as a production company and platform that gives emerging short filmmakers exposure and makes the notoriously tricky film industry more accessible. And finally, for our final slot of the night, we’ll be welcoming the one and only Joe Lycett. The comedian and artist will be talking to It’s Nice That about his flourishing creative career and his undying love for bins.

We’ll also be hosting an activation from our event partner MPB. So, if your LinkedIn profile picture is looking a little blurry or old, head on over to get a free headshot from professional portrait photographer Ivan Weiss. Sign up through this form!

The event will take place on 5 September with doors opening at 6pm. As this is an 18+ event, please bring ID with you to the venue. If you are in need of disability access, please make yourself known to a member of the EartH team on the evening or email [email protected] so we can arrange assistance. Carry on reading to find out more about our incredible line-up of speakers.

Yes, you heard us, Joe Lycett! Growing up with parents in the creative industries, Joe has always had something of a flair for the arts. So, alongside his career in comedy, Joe has been showing the world his art – from painting and illustration to ceramics and much more. Much like his comedy, a lot of his work has a political slant, using humour to comment on the inadequacies of our government. Some of his work, however, is just pure fun. Like the whole book he created about his love of bins, or his recent portrait of Harry Styles, which he sold to the singer for £6 and a KitKat Chunky Peanut Butter. We’ll be finding out how Joe balances his art with comedy, how he’s managed to let go of creative self-doubt, and hearing about a very exciting upcoming short film.

3D character design doesn’t get much better than this. Well known for their wacky figures, otherworldly textures and brilliant sense of humour, Victoria Young and Niels van der Donk from Yonk have crafted a creative world like no other. Armed with this signature personality, Yonk has worked on commissions from the likes of Nike, The New York Times and Nickelodeon. One of the things that makes Yonk’s work so unique is its very physical approach to 3D; the duo uses VR to design its characters, imbuing them with organic qualities. At September’s Nicer Tuesdays, you can hear about Yonk’s journey so far, how Victoria and Niels come up with such novel ideas, and the role technology plays in their work.

Janvier Wete has been on an expansive creative journey. Not only has he produced commercials and documentaries for the likes of Vice, Channel 4 and Google, he’s also built his own production company and streaming platform, Minute Shorts. But things haven’t always been smooth sailing. Upon finishing his first short film project, he was rejected by multiple film festivals. From this point onward, he sought to create a space “where filmmakers can place their short films in the hands of those who appreciate them the most”. And so, Minute Shorts was born. At Nicer Tuesdays we’ll be finding out what it takes to create a platform from scratch and why exposure and support for young filmmakers is so important.