Hard as Nails - Beta Tester event

A men's only event* on 15 May between 5pm and 7pm to bring together a group of men who are willing to get their nails painted and to be part of a Beta Test group to better understand whether there is value in getting investment to help create a movement.

*It's worth noting that inclusion is a key guiding principle for the work we do. But this movement is about tackling male stereotypes so we do need people who identify as men on this part of the journey. Going beyond this event, we would be totally open to ideas on how we might better include everyone.

Background

When Sam painted his nails to go to a Harry Styles concert with his daughter, he made a mistake. By choosing Shellac he couldn't remove them before he went back to work on the Monday. Which meant a whole working week with painted nails without his daughter or a Harry Styles concert to provide context.

A wonderful thing then happened. His nails opened up conversations he never would have imagined. Conversations around masculinity, stereotypes, gender fluidity and mental health. Some were challenging but most were ultimately positive and insightful.

The fact is that while most of us recognise that the world is easier for men, it does not mean that men are not also being harmed by the patriachy. Men certainly don't have the same choices as women when it comes to fashion but also have also been brought up in a society that has told men to also suppress their feelings.

As Robert Webb said in his book 'How Not to Be a Boy' ‘But more often, when we tell a boy to “act like a man”, we’re effectively saying, “Stop expressing those feelings.” And if the boy hears that often enough, it actually starts to sound uncannily like, “Stop feeling those feelings.”‘

We believe that there is real power in getting more men to help us break the stereotype of men not painting their nails and to open up further discussions around masculinity, mental health and gender norms.

So if you are up for painting your nails and become part of our Beta Test (which means you commit to wearing the nails for at least a week and joining a focus group to discuss learnings) then do sign up.

We would love to see you there.

Daniele (Token Man) and Sam (Uncertainy Experts)

Details are as follows:

• Each 20 min slot will cover Shape + Paint (Hands)
• Cost for Shape + Paint (Hands) is £25. We are just asking for a £10 deposit which will be returned on the day (you will lose the £1.55 fee but we will make that up in free drinks)
• There will be a bar with refreshments to feel free to join us for the full hour
• We will certainly be going for some food/drinks after so do feel free to book the whole evening out

Accessibility

We want to ensure all of our events, physical or virtual, are accessible to everyone. If you require any adjustments to make access to this event please contact Dnaniele via [email protected] and we will work together to make sure that effective adjustments are put in place.

Supported by:

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Shoreditch Nails Dalston, 48 Dalston Lane, London, United Kingdom