During the assembly, we explore how typography can be more than form. How letters can connect communities, make hidden histories visible, and be used to support—or demand—social change.
Designers, researchers, and cultural practitioners share their perspectives on typography as a voice: rooted in context, identity, and collective experience. From individual expression to collective action; from me to we.
Voices in Type Assembly takes place on 31 March 2026 at Chassé Theater in Breda.
_TICKETS
Early birds (while supplies last)
Students: €27.50
Professionals: €37.50
The first 100 ticket buyers will receive a free Koppermaandag print (to be collected during the assembly).
Regular
Students: €37.50
Professionals: €47.50
Late birds (from 10 March)
Students: €50.00
Professionals: €60.00
_SPEAKERS
Michael Ellsworth (USA)
Michael Ellsworth is co-founder of Civilization, a design studio creating digital and physical experiences for fellow designers, architects, cultural institutions, and grassroots organizers. Drawing from the history of design and activism, the studio produces work that is meaningful, engaging, and distinctive. Through Civilization, Michael collaborates with organizations and makers to raise awareness around critical issues. His work balances creativity with critical practice, emphasizing design that creates meaning for communities.
Raya Leary (USA)
Raya Leary works at Civilization at the intersection of research and project strategy. Within the organization, she focuses on the contextual meanings of visual communication and typography, and how these can be applied to culture, heritage, and social issues. Raya combines analytical insight with strategic thinking to strengthen projects in which design functions as both voice and dialogue.
Tré Seals (USA)
Tré Seals is a type designer, creative director, and founder of Vocal Type. His work uses typography to make cultural and historical narratives visible and to represent missing perspectives. His typefaces are inspired by protest, social movements, and Black history, and are used internationally across culture and media. Tré has collaborated with, among others, Spike Lee and is regarded as a leading voice in the international typographic field.
Mark Baker-Sanchez (USA)
Mark Baker-Sanchez is founder and creative director of BakerSanchez, Inc., an award-winning studio shaping visually resonant cultural narratives. Based in New York and working internationally, he helps brands and organizations translate their vision into clear, meaningful visual identities. Mark is also editor-in-chief of DONE The Magazine, a publication dedicated to underrepresented voices, and is known for visual research, curation, and design that connects style, culture, and meaning.
Saki Mafundikwa (ZW)
Saki Mafundikwa is an influential Zimbabwean designer, author, filmmaker, and educator who explores typography and visual culture as instruments of identity, history, and expression. In 1998, he founded the Zimbabwe Institute of Digital Arts (ZIVA), a pioneering design and new media school rooted in African visual traditions. His groundbreaking book Afrikan Alphabets: The Story of Writing in Africa was the first comprehensive survey of African writing systems.
Aneesh Bhoopathy (USA)
Aneesh Bhoopathy is a Philadelphia-based graphic designer and a core member of the design cooperative Forge.coop, where typography and visual identity are used as tools for meaning and movement. With a background in politically engaged design, he gained recognition for the visual identity of the successful Zohran Mamdani campaign in New York—a design that combines iconic urban culture, hand-crafted typography, and inclusive visual language to reach and connect communities. His work embodies a democratic approach to design as a means of communication for social change.
More to be announced!
_WHO IS THIS FOR
Voices in Type Assembly is for anyone who wants to understand what typography can mean in today’s society:
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Designers & typographers looking to deepen their practice and move beyond form.
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Students & educators in design education who want to explore typography as a cultural instrument
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(Cultural) professionals & policymakers working with language, heritage, and public space, interested in the role of typography in social and political issues.
_MORE TO WATCH
As part of the Characters: Voices in Type project, Vocal Type earlier this year developed the typeface VTC WIJ, inspired by the ideas and legacy of Anton de Kom. Using this typeface, Civilization created a temporary 100-meter-long mural, realized in Breda in October with the help of 60 volunteers.
Partners
This conference is made possible with the support of Pictoright Fonds, Municipality of Breda, and Chassé Theater.
