Opera Sunderland
Closing the curtain on the clichés of opera
Opera Sunderland is a registered charity that organises events and projects, bringing experts from the world of opera to share their skills on Wearside. Their aim is to get both amateurs and professionals involved in opera and bring communities together. Following a regional pitch, JUMP was commissioned to create and develop a new brand and website that would draw attention to their great work and show that opera can be attractive, available and accessible to all.
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An engaging and inclusive brand for all
Formerly ‘Music in the Minster’, it was agreed that the name ‘Opera Sunderland’ was a simple alternative that clearly expresses their purpose and offers a definitive location. Next, it was important to assess current attitudes towards opera and its reputation as an exclusive pastime of plush seats and pretension. We knew it was essential to move away from these notions, which we did through striking a balance between the classic art form and the idea of gaining confidence through something fun. To implement this concept in the logo, we used contrasting fonts so that the word ‘Sunderland’ would stand elegantly against the less formal, quirkier ‘Opera’. We then used different variations of punctuation marks on the ‘O’ to create the expressive faces of people when performing opera, injecting further elements of entertainment into the overall design. Finally, we set all this against a stark black and white background, using splashes of colour throughout to result in an engaging brand that draws people in rather than pushing them away.
Bringing communities together through opera
"JUMP worked attentively to create something that is a genuine expression of our character and belief that opera is for everyone."
Alison Barton, Artistic Director Opera Sunderland
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