Stockton & Darlington Railway Activity Pack
Stockton Council asked us to create a children’s activity pack for them to distribute to local schools, to educate and create engagement around the Anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
On the 27th September 1825, 195 years ago, history was made; the dawn of the railway passenger age. Stockton Borough Council, Darlington Borough Council and a wide range of partner groups and organisations are combining forces to embark on a spectacular celebration for the Stockton Darlington Railway bicentenary in 2025.
Stockton Borough Council asked us to create a children’s activity pack for them to distribute to local schools, to educate and create engagement around the Anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, as well as supporting them in the production of an animated teaser video!
Bespoke activity packs are a brilliant, cost-effective way of creating engagement, and supporting whatever message or story you have to tell. We’ve developed several activity packs now alongside Stockton Borough Council council, to celebrate local events and history. All our activity packs are beautifully bespoke and help educate and entertain younger audiences. We happily covered the design and creation of the pack, as well as advising on some of the content and activities, but none of this would be possible without Stockton Borough Council’s passion for delivering outstanding and engaging content which champions local events and history.
The front cover design, featuring our illustration of the beloved Stockton Flyer sculpture.
We were delighted to be a part of such a creative brief, and it was great to see how passionate creatives from different backgrounds were brought together to create something special. As well as working with us to develop and design the activity pack, the council worked with writer and theatre-maker Ruth Mary Johnson on a beautiful intro for the pack...they even commissioned a unique, original soundtrack to be created by a group of exceptional emerging young musicians, via the Apollo Arts Young Music Leaders programme.
Activities in the pack ranged from a poetry competition to an engaging wordsearch, elegant paper-craft activity, and a stunning colouring-in sheet designed by our dear friend and local children's book illustrator Anjalee Burrows! We also included a ‘design a dream carriage’ competition, which we’ll be judging ourselves.
The intro page we designed, featuring a beautiful introduction by Ruth Mary Johnson.
Facts page, featuring our illustration of the clock at Darlington Railway Station.
Poetry competition, to be judged by Richard Drake of Drake The Bookshop!
The colouring-in sheet was designed in collaboration with local Illustrator, Anjalee Burrows.
A Wordsearch featuring Detective Locomo!
An activity encouraging participants to respond with a first memory of seeing or being on a train.
A paper craft activity featuring the wonderful Stockton Town Flyer on its plinth!
We had great fun delivering this project!
Perhaps an activity pack could be a great way to enhance your event, mark a celebration or engage your audience? We can work with you to develop a story or theme that fits perfectly, and seamlessly incorporate your brand and messaging.
Stockton Borough Council Commission Official Illustration for The Globe
I'm delighted to announce that I will have played a small part in adding to The Globe’s legacy, by creating an official illustration of The Globe for Stockon Borough Council.
What do The Rolling Stones, The Bee Gees, Roy Orbison, Morecambe & Wise, T-Rex and The Beatles all have in common? Answer: they all performed at The Globe, Stockon's legendary entertainment venue! And while I probably won't be gracing the stage there anytime soon, I'm delighted to announce that I will have played a small part in adding to its legacy, by creating an official illustration of The Globe for Stockon Borough Council.
The Globe is a stunningly unique venue on Stockton-on-Tees High Street steeped in a rich history of entertainment. It is currently being brought back to life by Stockton Borough Council.
Illustrating this beautiful grade 2 listed building was no small task, as The Globe is considered to be of National architectural importance, but I was determined to do it justice. I was lucky enough to get a hard hat tour of the building during the ongoing renovation, which gave me some insight into what a breathtaking space it was, and will be again, once it reopens in 2020.
My illustration features the Globe as it looked when it first opened in 1935. As the building has been through many visual changes since then, I needed to piece together a complete image of the venue by sifting through a modest archive of old photographs and architectural plans.
A highlight of the illustration is the swanky car parked outside, which would have belonged to the local butcher that set up shop on The Globe premises back in 1935, and was reportedly a big fan of flash cars! (It's amazing what you can learn from speaking to those in the Teeside community who still have fond memories of The Globe and its many characters).
“Working with Abby on her recent Stockton Globe graphic illustration commission was an absolute pleasure. She is a talented professional, listens to the requirements of the client and brings her creativity to the process. Abby understands the value of the artwork and demonstrated originality as well as in-depth knowledge of the sector. She is committed to achieving the best outcome and worked incredibly hard for us, within a tight timeframe.”
The illustration is currently available as an A3 art print (£8) and A6 postcard (£1), which can be purchased from Rediscover Stockton and Preston Park Museum. Postcards can also be picked up at the Hampton by Hilton. Further merchandise is likely to be developed in the future, so keep your eyes peeled!
All proceeds from the merchandise are going back into The Globe too. The money will go towards supporting The Globe community organisation, which will celebrate the building’s heritage into the future.
The Globe is set for a Grand reopening in 2020, soon to be the jewel in the crown of the Town Centre. I'll be celebrating by creating a second illustration of The Globe as it looks after the renovation is complete, making for a wonderful pair of past/present illustrations.
f you're interested in commissioning some original artwork that creates the perfect first impression, why not get in touch?