Graphic Design and Branding for the Arts

Busy schedule? Need a creative partner? You're in the right place.

Hi, I'm Matt, your friendly neighbourhood creative. With extensive arts and culture experience, I'm here to simplify your workload and inject creativity into your projects.

About Catlips Creative

Services

A poster for 'The Sticky Dance' by 2nd Hand Dance. It depicts a young child playing with hanging rolls of coloured tape. She is looking through two of the rolls.

Posters

Whether you’re printing them on the office printer and putting them in the toilet door clip frames or running a large outdoor advertising campaign, every arts organisation loves a poster!

From simple artworking to full creative development, I work with organisations large and small to fit every budget.

Logos and Branding

Whether it’s a simple logo refresh, a complete visual identity overhaul or a deep dive into your brand values, I can help you express your best side and help you do you. Very demure. Very mindful.

A flyer for 'Unbroken' by Nikki Riummer. THere is a photo of Nikki - a curcus performaer dancing agains a black background.At the bottom is the Circomedia logo, tour info and website.

Flyers

Rack ’em up! Or hand ‘em out. Your call. Just call in a loud and friendly tone!

A fold-out leaflet for 'Grenwich Park Summer Sessions'. An A5 flyer opens out to A3, revealing a poster with an illustration of the park and the lineup within

Folded Leaflets

Leaflets don’t have to be flat! Have an idea or seen something different you like? Let’s chat!

A photo of a brochure for 'Nureyev: Legend and Legacy' on a table in Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It sits next to a table lamp, pink cocktail and a pair of reading glasses. The programme has a black glossy cover with gold foil text and a portrait photo

Programmes

Last-minute injury? Cast got covid? Luckily not for this production, but there’s always last minute changes and I got your back!

A selection of colourful learning resources laid out flat. One is titled 'Tropical Tours' and the other 'Artsmark Resource Pack'

Learning and Education Resources

No, you don’t have to do it in Canva. Let me help you create professional-looking resources that show the funding you got (hopefully) is being well spent.

A series of composite images showing actors with 'life size' plastic dinosaurs. The original green-screen photography is shown for comparison.

Photo Editing / Retouching

Whether it’s making your online shop pictures shine, removing that pesky mic stand that someone left in-shot, or compensating for that weird colour light the interactives are shining on the models, most photos could use a little TLC.

I will not use image manipulation to deceive or to change history. I may make an exception to this if cute toy dinosaurs are involved.

A large sign above the doors at Olympia West. It has the Museums+Heritage Show logo and the words Welcome to the Show. It is in black, white and orange colours and in the style of cut-out paper. THere is the shape of a vase on a plinth to the right.

Signage

I saw the sign

And it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign.

What if people didn’t see the sign? Where would we all be? If your venue needs new or updated signage, let me lead the way.

Exhibition Graphics

Whether it’s at a trade show or in an exhibition space, it’s all about creating a sense of place while communicating information clearly. It’s also about measuring everything at least three times.

A pop-up banner featuring 'Home Grown' at the Museum of the Home. It is dual-language in Vietnamese and English. In the background as an AI generated image of a city garden.

Pull-up Banners

Probably the request I get most is ‘can you make me a pull-up banner?’. Yes. Yes I can. Can I make a mockup of one in an AI-generated garden? Yes, I can do that too. You’ll have to put the actual one in a real-life space though - a community event or trade show are popular choices.

A stall map for the M+H Show

Maps

What arts organisation doesn’t love a map? Or several! Whether you need the Changing Places toilet or the stalls (Row J, section B), a map will help you get there. Also, your maps are out of date so you need me to update them for you. You know the leak in the west corridor makes lift B inaccessible don’t you? Amiright?

A roadside banner for Southall Carnival of Lights - about 20m long and attached to railings. It is purple and yellow and stands out against the green trees behind.

Environmental

Sometimes you just want something that’s big, cheap and simple and won’t blow away in the wind. No problem. No job is too big or too small and sometimes they’re both!

[upbeat rock music]

[Various clips of people dancing]

Transcript of animated text: 2022 was a great year for Greenwich Dance. This year we danced in parks and on high streets and in community centres across the borough. We Lindy hopped online and offline. We got shortlisted for an award, we moved house, we recorded podcasts... But best of all... We got to dance with you! [end credits]

Showreels

Want to pull together the season’s content for a fundraising appeal? Show off upcoming shows on the foyer screens? Give your community participant the limelight? Boost staff morale at the Christmas party? You may already have the content you need. A showreel can bring the widest range of content together.

Podcast Trailers

Still using a generic podcast trailer template to promote your latest project? Have your own identity and stand out with your own custom-branded look, including animated sound waves and dynamic text. All tailored to the tone of your content.

A graphical animation of text and lines promoting the Marina Abramović Takeover at Southbank Centre (no sound). Transcript of text: Southbank Centre. Marina Abramović Takeover. Queen Elizabeth Hall. Wednesday 4 - Sunday 8 October. In the nooks and crannies of an ordinary day, strange realities hide themselves in the corners and alcoves of the mind odd visions play their games. And in this concrete maze artists go to work. [artist list] [credits]

Motion Graphics

Vertical, horizontal, square. Stage, screen or mobile.

A looping camera animation of a pile of books next to a pink block with the Museums+Heritage logo on it. In front lies an open book and some reading glasses. Titles of the books are ‘Inspiring Stuff’, ‘Fascinating Things’ and Stanchions 101’. The following text flies in from the side: Learning Programme of the Year. Enter by 1 Feb 2024. In partnership with GEM. We connect and learn together. (no sound)

3D

Sometimes seeing something from a different perspective can help, whether static or animated. 3D graphics can help bring interest to a presentation, make an annual report more impactful, or make a funding proposal more compelling.

Used for fun, data visualisation or object interpretation, the third dimension is not as out-of-reach as you might think.

An animated sign promoting Candoco Dance Company in Media City, Salford (no sound)

Digital Media

Large scale or small. Whether it’s on the street, in a museum exhibition or in the theatre foyer, I can edit and format your content for any display.

The Picadilly Lights in London feature a takeover of the whole screen area by Southbank Centre fo rthe London Literature Festival. The word 'BREDRIN' appears repeatedly  in huge painted-style letters.

Still haven’t found what you’re looking for?

Chances are I’ve done something similar but just not uploaded it here. Also, every job is different and I love a new challenge!

Either way, visit this page, only to contact me!

(or you may prefer to click here)