NETHER EDGE FESTIVAL
A purpose. A partnership. A really good party.
A community celebration
Nether Edge Festival is an annual, volunteer-run community festival, designed to celebrate all things Nether Edge. The leafy suburb of Sheffield is sometimes overlooked, so this is a great chance to bring people into the area to enjoy lots of mainly free events, art exhibitions, gigs, food, wine and even dog shows. It’s an opportunity to celebrate everything that makes the area special while generally having an excellent time.
The brief
The organisers of the festival had used a designer before, but had struggled with poor communication and a feeling that they were being left out of the process. This had left them with an identity they didn’t have faith in, which impacted negatively on people’s awareness of the occasion.
I was brought in to repair the damage.
The organisers wanted the brand to be fun, vibrant and family friendly, as well as something that would grab people’s attention. It needed to cater for a wide target audience of all ages across Sheffield, while ultimately delivering one clear message: that Nether Edge Festival was the place to be.
It all starts with a conversation
I started (as I always do) by speaking with everyone involved. I was keen to understand where issues had arisen previously to help me create the best working experience possible.
These conversations allowed me to understand their hopes for the new branding as well as the festival as a whole. It also ensured they felt like a part of the process from the start. This was a feeling I continued building throughout the rest of the project, presenting my ideas, discussing options, asking for their opinions and attending their planning meetings.
I was no longer just working with their team - I was a part of it.
Once the brand had been agreed on, I applied it to a range of marketing materials, such as posters, event signage, leaflets, banners and social media content. I even managed the print and production of these assets - I’d earned the trust of the organisers, and being involved in every aspect of the process meant they could trust it would all be done to the highest standard.
Get the bunting up
The new brand identity was not only successful in raising awareness of the festival; it also built momentum and anticipation within the village for every festival to come.
The community weren’t the only ones excited for what was to come - I was too! I ended up joining the organising committee and working with the festival for a further four years, allowing me to adapt and evolve the brand so that it grew in popularity year on year. I helped turn Nether Edge Festival from something loved by locals into a destination event for people across the city.
“Leanne has transformed our Festival design, working alongside a group of enthusiastic amateurs with plenty of ideas but no design experience to create a unique and attractive identity.”
Jean Allen, Nether Edge Festival