Stockton & Darlington Railway Activity Pack

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.

SIRF at Home 2020

Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) would usually be four days of live outdoor performance in the heart of Stockton-on-Tees. As 2020 is an exceptional year, SIRF wanted to create an exceptional solution, SIRF at Home...

The intro page and first activity sheet we designed for the SIRF at Home Creative Pack.

We have so many fond memories of SIRF, (which is outstanding every year) so we were delighted to have this opportunity to produce the SIRF at Home Creative Pack for 2020. This year, audiences would be able to engage with SIRF in several ways from the comfort of their own homes, allowing people to be involved and get creative, following the activities and sharing with friends, family and neighbours.

For the look and feel of the pack, we wanted to put a fresh new spin on the exciting SIRF brand, implementing the colours in a new way. The front cover illustration depicts the iconic Stockton Town Flyer, a whimsical mechanical sculpture that rumbles to life at 1pm every day, rising from a plinth in Stockon High Street!

Activities we designed for the pack ranged from a fun salt dough modelling activity from 'Daemon or Doppelgänger', who have given millions of hours of fun and enjoyment to thousands of people of ages and abilities with their sculpting activities and performances- to Ear Trumpet, an activity by Gobbeldegook Theatre, helping people to discover the hidden music all around them such as planes, traffic and birds, to the hum of their refrigerator...all those sounds we usually take for granted!

We even got the opportunity to devise some activities for the pack ourselves, such as a crafting activity, wherein you get to build your own little Stockton Flyer standee! Perhaps one of our favourite elements of the pack was "Share a Thought", giving people to opportunity to reflect on their experience of 2020 so far, by writing and doodling their musings. These responses are to be compiled and anonymously displayed as part of a large piece at SIRF 2021.

A Postcard featuring the Stockton Town Flyer sculpture encourages people to dream of a place, real or imagined, and write the postcard out as if you are there right now! It was an absolute joy to have been able to support SIRF during this exceptional year, to celebrate and be an active participant in a festival that has created some of our very fondest memories with friends and family to date. We're really looking forward to SIRF at Home 2020, are you? See you next SIRF!

“Working with Abby+Owen has been brilliant!

At a time when communication and the way we all work has changed, Abby was flexible, personable and professional. The quality of the work produced was exceptional. The final product, whilst maintaining a stamp of their polished signature style, also represented our brand in a fresh, new and appropriate way - which is no easy task! Abby+Owen’s flexibility and ability to translate thoughts, text, images and initial vision to a final product can not be underestimated in this brief!

We couldn’t be happier with the outcome and we will certainly look forward to working with Abby+Owen again. I also wouldn’t hesitate to recommend working with them to colleagues and partners.”

— Juliet Hardy, SIRF Assistant Programmer and Coordinator, Stockton International Riverside Festival.

Stockton Giclee Prints Available

Ever passionate about celebrating and championing the area, Stockton Borough Council got in touch. They envisaged six illustrations celebrating Stockton's Townships: Stockton, Billingham, Yarm, Thornaby, Ingleby Barwick and Norton. These illustrations were commissioned for them to gift to connections and business associates, but also to promote the Townships themselves.

The evocative "Family Group" statue, sculpted by Bainbridge Copnall, standing among scattered leaves in Billingham Town Centre.

Even in the process of producing these illustrations, we found ourselves looking at these local destinations of ours with fresh eyes. From the tranquillity of Norton duck pond to the quiet drama of Yarm Viaduct cast against an evening sky, to the evocative "Family Group" statue, in Billingham Town Centre...a testimony to art's ability to turn our gaze to the overlooked beauty in our local communities.

Yarm Viaduct cast against an evening sky.

Thornaby Town Hall.

The Old Mill, Ingelby Barwick

Norton green duck pond, on a tranquil late afternoon.

Signed Giclee prints of the illustrations are available on our shop, on beautiful Hahnemuhle fine art paper.

CVFM Radio Interview

On Saturday the 4th July, we were interviewed on CVFM radio, with host Chloe Tempesto who runs Project Middlesbrough.

A few highlights are included below and you can press click on the player below to listen to the full interview…

Chloe: So, you're both going into business together as a partnership...tell me about that. 

Abby: We've officially registered a partnership together. Previous to this, I was going solo for two and a half years. We met at college, and we've worked together on and off for ten years. It seemed like the perfect step for us. We're a two-person Teesside based creative studio, so we offer illustration and graphic design services. We also sell prints of our artwork on our website, and we've got a new series of Teesside inspired illustrations coming out in the next few weeks.

Chloe: It's a very exciting time to launch - how was launching pre-lockdown? I know it's been hard for a lot of businesses. How was the decision to launch during this time?

Owen: We'd actually planned a launch party just before lockdown started and we'd got the invites sorted, we were going to invite all of Abby's existing clients and we were tremendously excited about it, and then BAM, lockdown hit! But it turned out there were ways we could use our services to support other businesses during this difficult time, such as social distancing signage. People needed different kinds of marketing materials, and some were on the verge of starting a business who were in a similar situation to us. It felt great to be able to actively help.

Chloe: How did your interest in art start? Where does it go back to, and how did we get to Abby+Owen..what's the back story?

Abby: I think we've always both been very creative, even as kids. I have a very distinct memory of my peers in primary school queuing up and wanting me to draw their favourite Pokemon! Going through school I didn't realise how much of a viable career in the arts could be.

When I went to the Northern School of Art in Middlesbrough, that was a big step- and is actually where we met. It's a fantastic establishment that helped us grow as creatives and find our feet with what we wanted to do. We formed this strong friendship and we realised we collaborated well and always gave each other input and taught each other things. We just hit it off.

Owen: There was a real synergy there, we had a very compatible style, but also in how we came up with ideas...a big part of coming up with ideas for us is making it as memorable and funny as possible, and we clicked in that respect, too. 

Chloe: How is having your work out there for everyone to see?

Abby:  Back in 2017 we worked on 12 large format pieces for Hartlepool railway station, and that was the first time we'd seen our work on such a large scale. We still go through the station and it's still something I'm not used to. It was so surreal... it was also the perfect stepping stone into self-employment for me.

Chloe: Did that project give you the confidence to go self-employed?

Abby: It just felt like if there would be a point in time that it would happen, then there was a perfect time. I feel like for Owen and I need the challenge to be able to thrive...some employment can feel a bit stifling, and we wanted to break out of that and do something we love. 

So what's the future for Abby+Owen, what can we expect?

Owen: Abby has already made quite a name for herself in Teesside for the sort of artwork she does, which champions local businesses. The future is where I come in, and that's what this partnership represents, I'm bringing a commercial voice and more of a graphic design orientated aspect to the business. I've spent 4 years in industry already and got given a directorship role in my first year. I've worked on all sorts, creating brands from the ground up as well as working on things like mascot design and packaging. I have a lot of commercial experience, and when you bring that together with what Abby provides, which is a really meticulous approach, we create amazing things together.

Chloe: What's it like to create artwork themed around Teesside?

Abby: It's something I'm proud of. I was born in Stockton, and Owen and I live there currently. I feel like Teesside is overlooked in a lot of ways but it has a lot to offer and there's so many beautiful spaces and landmarks. I feel proud to champion that and show Teesside is a fantastic place, too.

Pictured Roseberry Topping, a commission by Vintage Chartered Financial Planners

Chloe: What's that like to be looked at like a role model and have people reach out for advice and guidance?

Abby: It's really lovely and we've always done talks in the past such as BBC Bitesize and always really loved them. Sometimes the best way for someone to get a better idea of what they want to do and feel motivated is to talk to someone who's been through that. It's nice to keep that conversation open so they don't feel like they're alone and have to figure it out by themselves.

Chloe: I feel a lot of people don't think of Teesside as a successful place you can have a business in the arts, that's a stereotype I have had people say to me. So showcasing the fact you have been very successful and had pieces of art commissioned. Do you think that's a clear example of as long as you work hard, you can do anything if you put your mind to it?

Abby: To some extent, though I do find that saying hard to get behind. I feel like a lot comes down to the right situation, chance and other factors that are out of your control. If someone needs to work full-time to keep a roof over their head, it's going to be very unwise to drop out of that, and no matter how hard they work, it may not work out. That sounds like a negative slant, but there is an element of truth in that saying, we've really pushed and worked really hard and I think people in the area are recognising that. An example being The Globe who reached out and commissioned me, and I think a lot of local businesses would rather support a local artist.

Chloe: What would be your advice for young artists listening?

Owen: I think concentrate on your craft and the parts you enjoy doing, as that's where your passion is going to shine through. It doesn't matter what form your creativity takes, as long as it's something you want to do, and will keep doing it anyway, and with a bit of luck and preparation hopefully, things can work out for you. 

Abby: We're also very pro-education. If it's something you enjoy doing it's important to learn the craft in as much depth as you can. For the type of work we do, we felt it was important to get some sort of industry experience before going self-employed, as you're more equipped for it. 

Owen: Someone said map out your career but do it in pencil, and I think that's never been truer for creative people.

Abby: Yeah! and plenty of room to doodle in the margins

Press Release: A bear on the bed, an alligator in the tub and a tiger on a two-seater: Stockton’s shop safely campaign

‘Graphic artist duo have partnered to create striking and unusual social distancing posters

Artists Abby Taylor and Owen Smith have formed a new partnership Abby+Owen to collaborate on social distancing posters.

Commissioned by Stockton BID manager Jason Maxwell in May, the duo created signage for the town with around 210 posters currently on display in independent shops, the Castlegate Shopping Centre as well as on the high street.

Stockton BID wanted a safe way to re-open their shops and the posters certainly fit the fun and quirky brief.

Abby Taylor and Owen Smith have designed signage for Stockton advising on social distancing and safe shopping

“We realised signage is very corporate so we wanted to make something really accessible, especially for children.

“We wanted to show the danger but without scaring them”, says Abby.

Collaborating on and off for 10 years, Abby and Owen are used to bouncing ideas off each other and within nine days the posters were ready for distribution from June 1.

“With people spending more time at home, house objects seemed the perfect thing to use”, says Abby, and they set a clear image of the 2m distance.

Abby Taylor and Owen Smith of new partnership Abby+Owen

With Stockton as her hometown, proud Abby added: “It’s a historic moment to be part of”.’

- By Anna Twizell for Teesside Live

Shop Safely Campaign

We were honoured with the challenge to create a social distancing and shop safely campaign for my home town of Stockton-on-Tees, for use in all the independent shops in the area, as well as high-impact signage for the High Street and Castlegate shopping centre, instructing residents how to shop safely. We brought the campaign to life on social media, by creating animated versions of the designs to share online.

We felt an earnest responsibility to other residents of the town to make the designs as memorable and accessible as possible. My client, Stockton BID, was also clear that they wanted the messaging to stand out, challenging me to come up with a concept guaranteed to catch the eye of local residents during the lockdown.

After bouncing some ideas around, an original concept began to form. We wanted the posters to provide people with concrete imagery that could be used to visualise the danger of Coronavirus, while also illustrating the recommended 2 metres distance between shoppers.

We wanted to create a campaign that could be understood by adults and children alike, with a higher level of accessibility and inclusivity for all. As most of us have found ourselves stuck in our homes during the lockdown, it occurred to us to use household objects, of approximately 2 metres length, such as a bathtub and a two-seater sofa, as a way to visualise the safe distance. This concept has the benefit of being easier to visualise than the less tangible ‘2 metres’.

We used illustrations of dangerous animals in household settings to visualise the very real danger of bringing coronavirus into our homes, and this conveys the message with gentle humour, without negating the serious nature of the message, and without resorting to using fear tactics. The designs can also easily be updated as the government advice eases and changes.

We created a series of eye-catching animations to share on social media, guaranteed to stop the scroll! Viewers are rewarded when they watch through to the end of the animations, at which point the striking imagery is explained in the statement "Coronavirus is Dangerous. Don't Bring it Home With You". The resulting "ah-ha!" moment is key when it comes to increasing the memorability of any message.

Owen and I believe that the best way to instruct is to entertain. It has been shown that alarming messages often have the opposite effect, causing people to look away from a design that makes them anxious. On the flip side, several studies have shown that humour increases the retention of information by up to 70%. This way, the reward for paying attention is the resulting smile. And besides, during such a troubling time, humour is necessary and in short supply!

This series works brilliantly as memorable posters, but what about creating a fun activity to educate kids about keeping a safe distance? The solution was to create downloadable colouring sheets for children, as a way of educating them about social distancing, without frightening them.

In addition to these social distancing posters, we designed high-impact signage to provide in-depth information about staying safe while shopping in Stockton.

It was a privilege to be involved in such an important project and to have this opportunity to highlight the importance of not just social distancing, but to demonstrate the real responsibility graphic designers hold as communicators. It's essential, as both a designer and a client, to understand what graphic design really boils down to; packaging a message in a way that sticks.

“Over the last couple of months, like most BIDs and local authorities, we were looking at a reopening strategy for Stockton Town Centre. I needed something a little more creative to suit our independent businesses.

Having worked with Abby before I knew she would be the best person to go to as her work is always first class. All I needed to do was to provide the brief, asking if we could be a little quirky and fun with the message, and Abby and Owen did the rest. The result is awesome and we are very proud to display the messaging in our businesses around the whole of the town centre. ”

— Jason Maxwell, Manager at Stockton BID