The Situation:
We successfully tendered for a large exhibition with Larne Museum celebrating the life and adventures of Richard Hayward, in association with the local writer Paul Clements, who wrote Romancing Ireland: Richard Hayward 1892-1964 and Shannon Country.
The brief:
Richard Hayward was one of Mid and East Antrim’s leading cultural figures. Although born in Lancashire, Richard Hayward (1892-1964) moved to Larne in the mid-1890s with his family, where the Antrim coast held a lifelong affection for him. Through his singing, acting, filmmaking and writing, Hayward became a leading cultural figure during the middle decades of the 20th century. He was also a broadcaster, folklorist, tour guide and dialect collector. His later fame was in no small measure due to the formative years of his upbringing in Larne. He loved roaming the countryside, hills and glens, as well as the coastline.
The exhibition was a great success and went on display in Larne. Part of it was also displayed at Larne Grammar School’s Open Night. The client received very positive feedback from visitors, including the nephew of Richard Hayward, having flown across to the opening evening of the exhibition.
My approach to Brand Design for the Public Sector:
From this brief, I developed several design concepts to portray the overall style of the exhibition. Given Hayward’s career spanning decades, it was important to create a design which sat comfortably across the years and looked as relevant today as it may have done in years gone by. I selected a colour palette which was sympathetic to Paul Clements’s latest book, Romancing Ireland, with Hayward being very much the pivotal figure.
More than fifty-five years after he died in a car crash near Ballymena, tribute was paid to the life of Richard Hayward with a touring brochure of the Co. Antrim places he loved. In the 1930s, his major feature film, ‘The Luck of the Irish’ was made in Glynn, while ‘The Early Bird’ was filmed in Glenarm and Carnlough, and ‘Devil’s Rock’ was made in Cushendun. Much of his singing and dialect collecting centred on the area, and his two Ulster travel books showed a special appeal for him – in particular, Islandmagee and the Gobbins which featured in his early poetry.
The brochure featured rare photographs from the early and middle decades of the 20th century and stunning present-day images. Many reflect Hayward’s connection to Larne, where he was educated at the Grammar School in the early 1900s. The trail takes visitors on a tour of the areas he celebrated from Islandmagee, through Larne, over the Sallagh Braes to Slemish, and north to the glens. These are all places where Hayward spent time in his youth which played a vital role in his multifaceted activities.
As well as printing several thousand copies of the quality brochure we were asked to deliver a Digital online version of the brochure which would be shared online, through social media and email. Our design of the Hayward brochure can be viewed using the following link: http://online.flipbuilder.com/pahc/vrss/
The Result:
The Larne Museum exhibition was a great success and went on display in Larne. Part of it was also displayed at Larne Grammar School’s Open Night. The client received very positive feedback from visitors, including the nephew of Richard Hayward, having flown across to the opening evening of the exhibition.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Peter Johnston, launched the new trail booklet: Exploring ‘Richard Hayward’s East Antrim’, in an online video presentation.
This is what the Major had to say about the launch of the exhibition.
More than fifty-five years after his death in a car crash near Ballymena, tribute was paid to the life of Richard Hayward with a touring brochure of the Co. Antrim places he loved.
