DM16: Manchester, truly a Design City
2016 was the year our Design Manchester’s annual festival, DM16, became a truly city-wide event. We smashed all our targets, surpassed our own high expectations and really won the heart of the city.
As Festival Director, and also running the communications and marketing for the ten-day festival, I know that design is in Manchester’s heart. The festival engaged as always with designers, artists, creative professionals, businesses, policymakers and public institutions, but this year we realised our long term ambition of truly bringing design to the whole city and its community.
DM17 doubled in size and attendance in 2016. More than 40,000 people attended 35 events over ten days, presented by 300 artists and more than 100 volunteers.
Art Battle Manchester and DM16’s Design City Fair saw Design Manchester take over Manchester’s iconic London Road Fire Station with live art, a print fair, a book fair, paper craft, bookbinding and letter press workshops, music and street food. Over three days the events saw over 7800 people of all ages and backgrounds engaging with design and creativity.
I also realised a personal dream, by introducing the Design City Film Season at HOME, which I co-curated with Malcolm Garrett RDI, screening classic films introduced by design and film experts, including Alice Rawsthorn and Sir Christopher Frayling, who provided an insight into the creative process and the impact of design on the finished work, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to already well-loved cinema and bringing new audiences to Design Manchester
The social engagement for DM exploded in 2016. There was a real buzz around the festival and the stats backed that up with over 7000 interactions across 3500 Twitter and Facebook accounts, giving the festival as a whole a potential a reach of nearly 17 million, an increase of 400% year on year.
The Sundae team did an incredible job with the festival’s publicity campaign, Creative Review, Design Week, the Manchester Evening News and Computer Arts among many more were incredibly supportive of the festival, and online and print press carried over 80 pieces of coverage. This year’s marketing campaign, carried out with arts marketing specialists KMS Media and the Audience Agency, with the support of Manchester City Council, was one of the biggest and most impactful new additions to the 2016 festival.
We’re already in the planning for 2017, we’re coming back bigger and better than ever before. Watch this space…
Fiona x
(Images: Sebastian Matthes and Andrew Brooks)
Scream Street asks, what are the grossest things that PARENTS do?
Voiced by John Thomson, Debra Stephenson and Tyger Drew-Honey, Scream Street is Coolabi Group’s hit comedy-horror animation.
Scream Street is packed to the bat-filled rafters with hilarious gross out stories centred around Luke Watson (Tyger Drew-Honey) and his best friends, (almost) vampire Resus (Rasmus Hardiker) and sassy 4,000-year-old mummy Cleo (Tala Gouveia), as they deal with everyday problems, and super-natural situations, in the spooky underworld of Scream Street.
We are HUGE fans of the show, which we first launched back in October 2015, and so we wanted to create a huge buzz around 13 spooky new episodes of the show, which launched on CBBC last week.
Everyone knows that parents thinks their kids do gross things, so what better way to get them back than a nation-wide survey to find out the grossest things that PARENTS do? Now there’s a comedy-horror story.
We worked with a national survey company to ask 1,300 kids the things their parents get up to that really gross them out.
Getting kissed at the school gates, holding hands and being told off in public were high on the list, along with wiping food off their face, seeing their parents snog and getting called pet names in front of their friends.
And our friends over at Coolabi rightfully said, “UK families have great fun grossing each other out, and that no matter your age, parent or child, being gross is universally funny.”
The press loved it; from The Sun, the Daily Express to Entertain the Kids and Good to Know , who even put together their own gross quiz from our findings, Scream Street hit the headlines and told parents a few home truths in the process 😉
(Images: Coolabi Group)
Jodrell Bank announces we are not alone in the universe #littleblueplanet
Friday was an exciting day at Sundae, we arrived at the office just as the sun came up to make sure we hit all the national news desks with our lovely April Fool story from Jodrell Bank and Clangers.
At 7am on 1st April, Jodrell Bank Observatory made the exciting announcement that a signal had been received by the giant Lovell Telescope, proving beyond doubt we are not alone in the Universe…they had found a little blue planet!
Tim O’Brien, Professor of Astrophysics at Jodrell Bank, announced that although the signal was extremely weak and so very fuzzy, the astronomers had been able to enhance it using techniques they normally apply to observations of distant galaxies and produce a video of the planet’s surface. He said that, astoundingly, the pictures show this little blue planet is inhabited by what appears to be a family of mouse-like creatures.
The story and the accompanying (seriously cute) video, lovingly created by Factory animation studios, caused quite a stir. Of all the amazing coverage, including Manchester Evening News, Digital Spy, BBC North West Today, ITV Granada plus a mention from Mr Michael Ball on BBC Radio 2, one of our favourites was a piece on CBBC Newsround as it spoke directly to kids.
There were also tweets from BBC Breakfast, European Space Agency (who said they’d let Tim Peake know about our discovery) and CityLife Manchester.
The partnership between Jodrell Bank and Clangers aims to engage children with space and science, and get them excited about the solar system. They have worked together to create some special activity sheets which you can take a look at over on the Clangers website- I might have a go at making a rocket myself!
Katy x
Jumping on board with the The Railway Children…
We’ve been working hard on the stage to screen film of E Nesbit’s The Railway Children – and it’s been such a wonderful campaign to be part of.
The Olivier Award winning production was filmed by Genesius Pictures in the unique Signal Box, a custom built theatre at the National Rail Museum in York. This production featured the train from the original 1970 film, which made it extra special.
We launched press and publicity campaign late last year, in addition to looking after all social media marketing for the film, which was shown on Easter Monday in over 400 cinemas.
We gained exciting national and all-important regional coverage through interviews, competitions, reviews, video content, features and listings. Some of my favourite pieces appeared in The Guardian, The Londonist, Evening Standard,The Mail On Sunday, The New Day, The Mirror, Top 10 Films, The Skinny, Metro. In addition there were hundreds of regional pieces of coverage, which were produced working with the local cinemas and the film’s marketing director Jane Smith.
I loved producing and delivering the social campaign, in particular creating videos for social media from BTS footage and tailoring our posts to ensure they worked perfectly for The Railway Children’s very specific audience.
It was very exciting for me personally to work on The Railway Children, as it was my first experience following a film from production through to launch. I found it so insightful seeing the film grow from initial plans to then gaining coverage in some of my favourite publications such as The Guardian.
It was also an absolute pleasure to be part of the press launch at The Courthouse Hotel, Soho; everyone who attended loved the film and the whole event was a massive success.
There are still lots of encore screenings making their way to various cinemas in the UK, be sure to jump on board and catch it if it is calling in to your home town.
Becca x
(Images: Andrew Lamb and Anthony Robling)
Hello Hope Mill Theatre…
We’re extremely proud to be working with our new friends at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester’s new independent theatre and event space based in Ancoats’ Grade II listed Hope Mill.
The flexible multi-use venue houses a dedicated 150 capacity theatre and performance space, plus the cosy and creatively designed 50 cover Engine Room, which serves as a daytime café and the theatre’s bar, and can be booked for private events.
Sharing a building with Ancoats’ art and design community, Hope Mill Theatre has an effortless style and cosy welcoming atmosphere that have made it a new daytime hub for creatives and freelancers.
Just this week owners Joseph Houston and William Whelton have announced a diverse 2016 Spring Programme that takes in drama, cabaret, musicals, comedy and immersive film.
We’re really excited about the season opener, Shirley, a snapshot of life in the working class council houses of Bradford of the 1980’s, written by Rita Sue and Bob too playwright Andrea Dunbar with an all star cast including Ciaran Griffiths and William Travis. A really nice touch is that profits from the production are going to Mustard Tree, a charity that combats homelessness and disadvantage. Check out the MEN’s exclusive piece and video interview with director Matthew McNulty here.
The theatre space has been inundated with enquiries from a wide range of creative performance projects to form this Spring season, with the Summer programme already fully booked.
There is loads of information about all of the shows and how you can get tickets here
If you’re ever in the area, pop in for a brew in and say hello…they’re lovely!
Tom x
It’s a Hong Kong Crime Wave
We’re incredibly excited to be working with HOME Manchester on CRIME: Hong Kong Style, a national touring film season and the UK’s biggest celebration of Hong Kong cinema to date.
The explosive new film season is showcasing 20 film titles at HOME, Manchester and will be going on tour around the UK, screening in venues in Scotland, London and Bristol, to name a few.
CRIME: Hong Kong style features a collection of comic capers, cult classics and forgotten gems, including Infernal Affairs, Overheard and Police Story. Having visited family in Hong Kong for many years I got to know more about the country and its cultural heritage so I was looking forward to catching some of the films at HOME.
The season features not one but four UK premieres: Dante Lam’s That Demon Within, Felix Chong’s Once A Gangster, Alan Mak & Felix Chong’s Overheard 3 and Ringo Lam’s Wild City.
Last night we went along to the UK premiere of Felix Chong’s Once A Gangster at HOME, which was a comic head-rush! Felix has flown over to the UK to join the tour and gave a Q&A after the film to a hundred strong audience including his hardcore Manchester fan base who stuck around afterwards to get autographs!
Hosted by season curator Andy Willis, Chong talked about his career including working with Martin Scorsese, who remade Infernal Affairs into Oscar-winning The Departed starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. He gave some interesting insight into life behind the Hollywood film lens, and the unique situation of collaborating with a Hollywood director who has his own vision of your film.
Visiting 18 venues across the UK, one of the first stops on CRIME: Hong Kong Style’s tour is Scotland with screenings in Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness and Edinburgh, where Felix will join audiences for a Q&A before heading back down South for appearances in Sheffield and London.
So far, the tour has caught the attention of the Edinburgh Evening News, TimeOut, Londonist, London LeCool, and the Guardian, with much more to follow.
We’re looking forward to this next leg of the tour with films being screened in London at Barbican, King’s College and Picturehouse.
Katy x
The Railway Children steams into town
We are very proud to be working with our friends at Genesius Pictures to promote the theatrical release The Railway Children (2016), a film of York Theatre Royal’s Olivier award-winning production performed in summer 2015 at the National Railway Museum, Yorkshire.
There has been huge anticipation for the film so, last night, it was incredible to finally run the press screening at London’s The Courthouse Hotel with the full cast and some very key national media present.
The response to film was incredible. Produced by Genesius, it captures Mike Kenny and Damian Cruden’s imaginative stage adaptation of E. Nesbit’s cherished novel on its return to its Yorkshire roots, and features the original locomotive from the much-loved original 1970 film.
Filmed with seven cameras by an expert team, who navigate the unique staging including moving platforms, props and rail carts, the film captures every moment of the fast-paced production and is a completely new experience of it.
The Railway Children follows the story of Roberta (Bobbie), Peter and Phyllis, three sheltered siblings who suffer a huge upheaval when their father, who works for the Foreign Office, is taken away from their London home and (falsely) imprisoned. The children and their mother, now penniless, are forced to move from London to rural Yorkshire near a railway line. The story deals with themes of justice, the importance of family and the kindness of strangers.
The countdown to national release is now on and it will hit over 400 cinemas on Easter Monday – 28th March and we honestly can’t wait…
Tom x
(Images: Anthony Robling)
A festive Red Carpet at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015
On the Friday before Christmas, Sundae’s bags were packed and headed for Belfast to BBC Sports Personality of The Year 2015.
This year’s much talked-about, prestigious awards ceremony was held at Belfast’s SSE Arena and we were very excited to be running the SPOTY red carpet for the fourth year.
Andy Murray was crowned the BBC’s Sport Personality of The Year, after walking the red carpet with his Davis Cup-winning Great Britain squad, who also picked up the award for Team of The Year.
We welcomed press from near and far onto the carpet including the Guardian, The Daily Mail, P.A., Reveal, Closer and The Belfast Telegraph who were joined by guests including Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford, Becky Adlington, James Nesbitt, Eamonn Holmes and Ella Henderson to name a few. I loved seeing Northern Ireland’s golfing great Rory McIlroy walk the carpet with his star 1D caddy Niall Horan, sending photographers into frenzy.
For the first year, BBC2 were on the carpet filming a live red carpet show, which was great to watch back and spot the team! It was also the perfect place to see some of the glittering outfits close-up, including Lizzie Armistead’s gorgeous Stella McCartney dress.
With amazing performances from Ella Henderson and Sigma, and an on-stage gymnastic routine from Max Whitlock, which was my favourite moment in the show (followed closely by Jess Ennis-Hill picking up third place), the show was another roaring success.
It was fantastic to see entertainment coverage appear the next day in Daily Express, The Mirror, The Sun, OK Magazine, Daily Mail Showbiz and Belfast Telegraph.
Katy x
A neo venture for Sundae
Yesterday we worked with family-owned property company Bruntwood to reveal plans for its £8m redevelopment of Bank House on Portland Street, which will become a 15-storey 52,000 sq ft collaborative workspace known as neo.
The initial launch announcement had incredible pickup from all key property and business titles including Property Week, Estates Gazette, Prolific North, Move Commercial, North West Business Insider, MEN Business, Startups.co.uk, Place North West, CoStar, Downtown in Business, Pro Manchester and The Business Desk, along with regional publications such as Manchester Confidential.
I was absolutely chuffed to see the story picked up by so many titles, and getting that first announcement into all of the right places meant that we even had people telling us the story was “everywhere” that morning!
We’ve worked with Bruntwood before, when we produced the digital and social campaigns for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, an 18 month campaign in 2014/15 taking in live streamed online writing workshops, a social strategy for the launch of the Prize’s collaboration with acclaimed photographer Simon Annand and culminating in the live stream of the Prize’s Award ceremony in November 2015.
This was an amazing project to be part of and also meant it was really exciting to become more involved with the main remit of the company, especially for a name that I already admire so much.
neo is due for completion at the end of 2016, but with collaborative workspaces, a digital art space and a stunning roof terrace, no doubt it’ll be keeping us nice and busy in the meantime!
Jess x
It’s ghouls and gross-out gags as Scream Street airs on CBBC
Following the hugely successful launch of Clangers, it’s been our pleasure to work on another of Coolabi’s amazing properties, as the first episode of Scream Street aired on CBBC yesterday.
A gross-out comedy-horror stop-motion animation series based on the book series by Tommy Donbavand, Scream Street features the voice talents of John Thomson, Debra Stephenson, Tyger Drew Honey, Claire Skinner, Rasmus Hardiker, Tala Gouveia, and Jim Howick. We were even lucky enough to go and catch some of them in action when we shot the BTS film, where we caught Rasmus voicing so many characters from one of the leads, a vampire called Resus, to surfer dude zombie Doug, and the gatekeeper to the Underlands!
We worked on Scream Street’s launch at the end of September, hosting a press screening at The Mondrian on London’s South Bank that welcomed press from national and kids’ publications, talent from the show, members of the production team and the BBC.
Along with an exclusive first look at two episodes from the series, the event also saw a talent Q&A with showrunner Giles Pilbrow, John Thomson, Debra Stephenson and Tyger Drew Honey. We also handed out branded goodie bags containing Scream Street books signed by Tommy Donbavand, novelty bone pens, chocolate eyeballs and zombie fresh mints.
The 52×11 series has been animated by our friends at Factory (Clangers, Newzoids, Strange Hill High), who have made the show into something that’s both a trick and a treat through clever, stunning and high quality stop-motion animation. It’s this craftsmanship and skill that has been an important strand of our campaign, and it was great to secure an on-set feature with Animation Magazine and a double page spread in Girl Talk focusing on the production process.
From the onset of the campaign we’ve also achieved press coverage with key national, broadcast, kids’ and online titles including interviews with Debra Stephenson on Good Morning Britain and in the Sunday Express, plus some great pieces in The Sun, The Observer, Girl Talk, National Geographic Kids, Mega, SPLAT, First News, Totally Tween, Fun Kids Radio, Female First and many more.
Jess x