Glasgow Cabaret Festival

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Background

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The Glasgow Cabaret Festival was one of only three independently-run cabaret festivals in the world. Uniting and celebrating the many forms of variety performance associated with cabaret; music, burlesque, comedy, dance, magic and theatre. The festival launched in October 2009 and after a hugely successful debut it returned bigger and bolder in 2011.

Problem

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There were a number of considerations that helped to shape the 2011 GCF. Firstly being an independent, unfunded festival the GCF is run on a fraction of the budget that other established festivals are. The collateral designed had to work to its fullest potential and offer a style and system that was effective and offered longevity. The festival collateral also had to be dynamic and flexible enough that it could be used to create bespoke events, or to also house existing performances/pieces that were booked as part of the programme.

Solution

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A typographic marque was created to help unite the variety of the cabaret disciplines. By using postiive and negative space there was a reference to chequerboard styling that had been used by the 2009 festival. The introduction of two additional squares to the L of Glasgow was a nod to Charles Rennie MacKintosh and helped to tie the identity into the city's rich heritage.

An identity system based on the typography and the positive and negative space was then created. This ensured flexibility and, essentially, scalability in terms of how and where the branding was required/could be applied. The GCF colour palette of magenta, black and white ensured that there was a look and style that was campaignable and one which the GCF themselves owned.