Nostalgic Talk for Abby at Bowesfield Primary School

A few weeks ago I visited my old Primary School (Bowesfield Primary School) ...it was such a highlight! I got asked to come in for Career Day to talk about my life in illustration, as one half of the creative duo "Abby+Owen". I talked about self-employment, working to your own schedule, selling artwork, creating murals, and exploring some of the ways that art is invaluable to our community.

Over 100 children wanted to come to the talk, and were bursting with excitement and questions! We touched on all sorts of stuff and I tried to be super honest about everything.

I was asked about making mistakes, comparing yourself to others, happiness, the challenges I face as a creative, and how often I draw. We also touched on my favourite anime (Death Note & Chobits), what I drew as a kid (Fairies, mermaids, animals, landscapes, intricate scenes) and "how do you know if you are an artist?" Hint: If you create and express yourself, then you are an artist. You can start calling yourself one right away...there is no gatekeeper!

I met some of my old teachers and they were just the same friendly, lovely people they were when I was at school. I even met my oldest school friend afterwards...we met at a corner shop we used to go to for sweets, and had a walk in the park because it was a nice day.

Chatting to the children, and seeing so much of my younger self in them, was a moving and nostalgic experience. I had some amazing conversations and interactions, but it's impossible to sum up!

Georgian Theatre Fundraiser T-shirts! 20% of the profits of our Georgian Theatre Products go back to Tees Music Alliance Charity

This T-shirt was part of a limited run during the first lockdown. Abby created it for the Tees Music Alliance as part of their fundraiser for the Georgian Theatre, one of our favourite music venues. Abby boldly re-imagined her illustration of the theatre as a line drawing, to create an amazing new t-shirt design depicting the iconic venue in all its glory. All proceeds went towards securing the future of the venue.

We hope to continue a supportive relationship with Tees Music Alliance, a charitable organisation operating for the benefit of musicians, their audiences, supporting industries and community groups.

From the start of our revamped online shop in May 2020, we now donate 20% of the profits from all the Georgian Theatre products on our webshop, including our giclee prints and postcards, to the Tees Music Alliance. As live music lovers, it's a small way of giving back!

Tensile Strength (or How to Survive at Your Wit’s End) Tour Posters are Looking Sharp

Between October 2018 and September 2019, Holly Gallagher is touring her latest show Tensile Strength (or How to Survive at Your Wit’s End). Holly is a theatre-maker, director and facilitator who was keen to create a recognisable brand for herself and have promotional materials for her shows that will stand out from the crowd. The goal was to create bold promotional items, but also set a distinct style, colour palette, font choices etc. so Holly’s future shows can follow suit.

The show was produced and commissioned by ARC Stockton, and funded by Arts Council England, and supported as part of the Third Angel Mentoring Scheme 2017 in association with Sheffield Theatres.

Tensile Strength (or How to Survive at Your Wit’s End) tells the story of three different characters all experiencing stress. The stage is full of buckets which act as a metaphor for stress, at one point in the show, the audience is asked: Imagine you have a bucket; and all the things you have to cope with in life as water going into that bucket. Raise your hand if your bucket is A) Empty B) Half full C) Overflowing.

After discussing the show over a hot drink with Holly, we decided an illustration involving an overflowing bucket would be perfect for the promotional materials. I included the show description ‘A Show About: Stress, fear, pressure ,sadness, mental health, when things are all a Bit Too Much and then the cat goes missing’ within the bucket which is spiralling into an abyss, much like how it feels when you get so stressed you can’t think straight. Holly also received brand guidelines which give her the colours, fonts etc. she needs to continue using her brand online.

“I have been a fan of Abby’s work for some time now, and have always particularly loved the boldness, detail, and colours used in her work. So when I needed a designer to work on my new show’s poster it was a no-brainer for me to approach Abby.

The process of working with Abby has been a real pleasure! This was my first time using a graphic designer to create content for a show, as well as the largest tour for a piece of work I had put together. So my timeframes, deadlines, and expectations were continually changing. Abby was understanding and flexible with every change that happened, and has been more than generous with her time and dedication to the project.

The final design Abby created is a beautiful piece of artwork and has really done an effective job in advertising the show with countless people complimenting its posters, flyers, and social media images! I’m beyond happy with the professional finish Abby has gifted my show with and am so pleased to have a proper brand design for my future work now too.

I would recommend anyone to Abby for graphic design work if they want a high quality, fast, flexible, and personable experience!”

— Holly Gallagher

Holly Gallagher’s stage set up for Tensile Strength (or How to Survive at your Wit’s End). Photo by Davey Poremba