Repainting Masculinity
A conversation about healthy masculinity, mental health and escaping the Man Box
What does it mean to be a man in 2026?
For many men, the old rules still linger: be strong. Don’t show weakness. Keep it together. Deal with it yourself.
But what happens when those rules stop helping us and start holding us back?
Join Hard as Nails and HubHub for an evening exploring how we can repaint masculinity and create more space for men to be strong, vulnerable, connected and fully themselves.
Hard as Nails is an evidence-based social campaign using something surprisingly simple: men painting their nails for a week.
Because sometimes changing what’s on the outside can start a very different conversation about what’s happening on the inside.
Co-founder Daniele Fiandaca will open the evening by sharing the story behind Hard as Nails and what the campaign has taught us about masculinity, vulnerability and the expectations men carry.
We’ll then bring together a brilliant panel to explore questions including:
What is the Man Box and how does it shape men’s lives?
Why are so many men still taught to suppress difficult emotions?
Can masculinity make room for strength and softness?
What helps men build deeper relationships with each other?
How do we challenge harmful expectations without making men themselves the problem?
And what might healthier masculinity actually look like?
The panel
Ben Wickham
Director of Creative Output, Sky Sports
Sam Conniff
Co-founder, Hard as Nails
And yes, there will be nail polish.
After the conversation, Daniele will be painting men’s thumbs for anyone who wants to experience a small taste of Hard as Nails before the national pilot this November.
No pressure. No judgement. Just one painted nail and, hopefully, a few conversations you weren’t expecting.
Whether you’re a man thinking about your own relationship with masculinity, someone who works with men or simply curious about how we create a healthier culture for everyone, you’re very welcome.
Come curious.
Leave with something to think about.
And possibly freshly painted thumbs.