Community projects

I left the agency after 15 fabulous years with the only work family I’d known to set up a social enterprise ‘Silent Cities’. The aim was to run creative and community journalist projects with anyone who didn’t have a voice in mainstream media so they could tell their own stories. After seven fun (though exhausting!) years, I wrapped up the social enterprise, but carried on working in the social enterprise sector. Here’s just a few of my favourite projects from recent years.

#1. ‘Big Issues’

“You have a unique ability for capturing the innate beauty of human beings.”
Lord John Bird, Founder of The Big Issue

When I worked at the agency, we’d sometimes grab a bite to eat at lunchtime from Waitrose across the road. There was usually a Big Issue vendor outside called Rob. We’d have a quick chat, I’d buy a Big Issue and then went on my way. But back at my desk, I’d often wonder about his story. How he’d ended up there.

I tried (in vain) to find a film maker to go and interview him. So instead, I got some funding from Unltd for a cheap camera and a not-so-cheap mac book, and built up the courage to ask him I could film him. He said yes and we walked round the back of Waitrose to film it there and then. I had to put the camera right up against his face so I could capture the sound, and when I played it back, I noticed for the first time how blue his eyes were. I went home and spent the afternoon learning i-movie. This is what came out by the end of the day.

Production quality aside, I still love this film as (by fluke) it captured what Lord John Bird, founder of the Big Issue later called ‘the innate beauty of human beings’ - partly due to the limitations of the technology (having to film up close), partly due to the idea behind the film (using the questions they ask celebrities in The Guardian Magazine). A bit like my Djing, I quickly realised that it was the story that was most important.

I saw that John Bird was giving a key note speech at a social enterprise in Leeds, and so I got onto the judging panel, just so I could meet him. It felt like meeting my third-sector Morrissey, and I spent the whole day circling around him, but not even having the courage to look at him, no matter make my existence known.

It got to the end of the day and I could see him heading for the door and had a strong word with myself, and threw myself at him. I offered him a lift to Leeds train station. And oddly, he accepted. I put the Macbook on his knee and made him watch the film.

His P.A rang me a few weeks later and said he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the film - did I want to come down to meet him at his ‘Club’ in soho for a chat about it? I did. I had the best day, following him around with his entourage. He introduced me to his followers as ‘this is Justine, she’s a film maker.’

I was mortified and tried to correct him, pointing out that it was the one and only film I’d ever made, but he cut me off. I’d made something that moved him, and that was enough. I sold him the film for £500, and when I got back handed in my resignation so I could set up Silent Cities.

“Film maker” Justine Gaubert
Funder: With thanks to Karen from Unltd for the camera and the Mac.

#2. Silent Cities Ltd

Our strategy was to put co-design at the heart of Sheffield’s bid and to use the campaign to collect stories from the most isolated older people across Sheffield. In just 6 weeks, my community journalists delivered tea parties in old people’s homes, took an older people’s theatre group on tour around extra care schemes, and brought our infamous spoken word night ‘Words Aloud’ back for one more time. The night was entitled ‘Growing old Disgracefully.’

We collected over 50 hours of stories from older people across Sheffield and their stories informed the strategy and the campaign for the city, headed by the visionary Juliann Hall.

I worked with designer Paul Ward on creating a brand for the campaign and materials for all our campaign events. The campaign won ‘Outstanding Campaign of the Year’ in the national housing awards, but best of all, our approach to co-designing the campaign and the stories collected by our community journalists were cited by The Big Lottery as being critical to Sheffield being awarded the full £6million.

Brand architect and campaign strategy: Justine Gaubert

Graphic designer: Paul Ward

Client: South Yorkshire Housing Association (lead organisation) funded by the Big Lottery.

Winner: National Outstanding Campaign of the Year 2015 (National Housing Awards).

Bookkeeper and helper: Maurren Mcreedie

Project facilitator and maker and mender of all things: Diane Rolf.

Volunteers: Andrew King and Pa King, and everyone who helped. Too many to name check. But couldn’t have done it without you.

Punters: The people who plucked up the courage to turn up and be vulnerable. I learnt so much from you all. Thank you. xxx

“We won the full £6million! The Big Lottery Cited the work of Silent Cities and your community journalists as being critical to giving Sheffield the edge. Thank you for all your hard work.”

Juliann Hall, Director of Care and Wellbeing, SYHA (lead partner on Sheffield’s bid).

#3. Community Journalist programme - cohort 1

It’s got to be at least ten years since I worked with the wonderful designer, Rachel Coles on a new brand and strapline for Sheffield Cathedral. The fact it’s still being used, (and I think still looks really fresh) is testament to the love and thought that went into this.

In the absence of doing a brand workshop with the ‘big client upstairs’, I spent a lot of time at the Cathedral and everyone who worked there.

The crypt in particular is a very peaceful space to sit, and the history of it is fascinating (did you know when it was being built, the plan was to build it in the shape of the cross, but they only built one side of the cross and when building had to be stopped because of the war).

Rache designed the symbol to mean different things to different people, much in the same way that faith does I suppose. You may see the prominent Sheffield Cathedral archway, or perhaps one person caring for another? Me, I see a candle in the negative space, reflecting light, space and hope.

Although not religious myself, I remember feeling moved by the people who worked there, and their commitment to make the building available for everyone. They were in a wrangle with the council and businesses to let them bring their breakfast club and other homeless support into the Cathedral itself, rather than keeping homelessness ‘out of sight’ where it was before.

They won.

I had this in mind when I wrote the strapline: A place for all people.

It’s incredibly rare for a brand to stand the test of time and to still feel fresh and authentic, though I think they’ve been ‘blessed’ to have the likes of Graham Congreve as their supporters, whose design knowledge and contacts have re-imagined the brand over the last few years, whilst still retaining our logo and strapline.

I wonder if ten years is a record for a symbol and logotype not to be touched? Though I guess the sign of the cross will be a tough one to beat…

#5. Community Journalist programme for Gypsies and Travellers