Jacksons Lane

The client

Jacksons Lane is the UK’s leading supporter of contemporary circus and has operated as a creative hub in North London for over 50 years. In 2025, The Graphic Design House began working with Jacksons Lane to support seasonal communications aligning with the organisation’s brand and 50th anniversary.

The brief

We were tasked with designing a new What’s On Guide to engage audiences for an upcoming season. The brief was to simplify and refresh the existing 16-page stitched brochure, reducing it to a smaller, folded format that was easier to distribute.

The new guide needed to follow existing brand guidelines and incorporate the Jacksons Lane 50th Anniversary logo, while remaining flexible enough to accommodate seasonal changes in programme content.

A photo of a performance at Jackson's lane

A mock-up showing the full spread of the Jacksons Lane 'What's On Guide Autumn 2025'

Our approach

We structured the project around simplifying the existing format and introducing a flexible design system that could adapt to changing seasonal programmes. This allowed the guide to remain consistent, brand-aligned and easy to update year on year.

A mock-up showing the Jacksons Lane Spring 2026 'What's on' guide folded out.

Simplifying the format

The existing stitched brochure was reworked into an 8-page A5 concertina-folded guide, making it easier to handle and distribute while retaining clarity of information.

A mock-up showing the Jacksons Lane 'What's on' guide fully unfolded out showing 4 A5 pages.

Clear genre grouping

Subtle colour backgrounds were introduced to group genres together, helping audiences navigate the programme more easily without overwhelming the content.

A mock-up showing the internal spreads of the Jacksons Lane 'What's on' guide.

Flexible layout system

A flexible layout was developed to allow the number of shows per page to change from season to season. The template supports varying title lengths and image sizes, ensuring the client was not restricted by word count.

A mock-up showing the front covers of both the Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026 'What's on' guides on a purple background.

Highlighting key shows

A distinct style was introduced to highlight specific shows within the season, using show artwork behind the text to create engaging pull-out sections within the guide.

Results & next steps

The final 8-page A5 concertina guide was printed on 120gsm uncoated stock and successfully adapted for subsequent seasons. Following the initial guide, the template was easily adjusted to accommodate a larger programme with more shows per page.

In addition to the What’s On Guide, we also supported Jacksons Lane with the design of a poster to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Design your next season

Our work in action

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Make your communications
work harder

If your organisation needs clear, flexible materials that can adapt to changing programmes and seasons, we can help. From brochures and guides to posters and supporting assets, we design systems that are easy to update, simple to distribute and fully aligned with your brand.

Let’s create communications that support your programme and engage your audience.

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