SPARK!’s new brand identity with Ignite Partners

Overview

SPARK! are Chelmsford’s Young Cultural Changemakers. Formed in 2022 through the Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP), this group of 13-25 year olds lead cultural projects across Chelmsford, as part of their Young Cultural Changemakers Programme, 2025 to 2027. 

Over the next eighteen months, SPARK! will deliver four high-impact projects designed to foster creative skills development, commission opportunities for creative professionals, and produce a transferable model of best practice for other towns and cities across Essex and the UK. 

These projects include Collecting Our Future with the Museum of Chelmsford, Concrete Canvas Reimagined with Chelmsford For You, Chelmsford Science Festival: Gaming Fringe with ARU, and wrap-around support, providing mentoring, learning, and advisory opportunities for young people.

At the point of commission, the SPARK! brand was not fully formed and needed to be developed further in order to give SPARK! a stronger voice in the community and help them recruit new SPARK! members and deliver on their long-term projects across the City. 

SPARK! contacted me (Ben Stanbury, Graphic Designer and Ignite Partner) and Nick Hearne (Creative Director and Ignite Partner) to help with their rebrand. Nick and I donned our creative hats and went to meet the SPARK! members in person…

Objectives

The SPARK! brand development had to meet the following objectives:

Appeal across the full youth spectrum from 13-year-olds taking their first creative steps to 25-year-olds building careers, with an energy that feels inclusive, current and real.

Feel like a movement worth joining, helping SPARK! recruit and grow its membership to around 30 young changemakers.

Hold credibility with the city’s organisations and business leaders, projecting a polished image that feels capable and confident, while keeping a youthful spirit.

Open doors to collaboration, making it easier for more organisations to engage with and invest in youth-led creativity.

Stand the test of time, to give the brand longevity beyond its current programme.

Inclusive Process: 

It was important to involve the SPARK! Members in the branding process, so they could take some ownership of the creative direction, so we facilitated two face-to-face workshops and feedback sessions with members. During these sessions, we put questions to the group, such as:

• What does SPARK! mean to you?

• What does the new brand need to achieve?

• Who is a typical SPARK! Member?

• How would you describe the SPARK! group to someone who hasn't heard of it before?

During the first group sessions, we reviewed the existing brand development and looked at established brands to see what kinds of logos and visual identities resonated with the group. It was important to gather this initial feedback from the SPARK! members from the outset, as we needed to develop a brand that not only appealed to their demographic, but also to the people and organisations they would engage with it in the months and years to come.

We developed two concepts based on our initial meetings and presented them in person, allowing the group to consider and deliver feedback in a break-out session. We also helped the group understand the difference between helpful feedback and vague feedback so we could build upon the branding with clear direction and intention. 

After the initial presentation of the branding concepts, we collated and summarised the group's feedback and refined the branding concepts further.

Results

The new SPARK! brand identity gives the group a cohesive and striking visual presence that combines youthful energy as well as credibility, supported by brand guidelines that will ensure consistency across social media, events, and brand partnerships

The brand identity will empower SPARK! to communicate with confidence, from recruitment campaigns to public events, and helps the group be instantly recognisable as Chelmsford’s Young Cultural Changemakers.

Crucially, the new brand bridges the gap between youth culture and civic engagement. It allows SPARK! to speak the language of both audiences: engaging peers with energy and authenticity, while building trust and credibility with city leaders, cultural organisations, and funders.

The brandmark has been designed to sit comfortably within the wider brand universe of Ignite and Culture Chelmsford, and is supplied with a set of brand guidelines and numerous Canva templates to steer their creative work forward.

As a result, SPARK! now has a clear visual identity that supports its mission to empower young people to lead cultural change, attract new members, and build lasting partnerships that will strengthen Chelmsford’s creative future.

Jaiden Buck-Auld, member of SPARK! and Trustee of Culture Chelmsford, said:

“As a long-serving SPARK!! It's long overdue to finally have some closure on a much needed rebrand. Having clarity on a finalised design for the logo was well worth the wait. Now I feel SPARK!! has a logo that we can be proud of and happy to wear on merchandise. The designs certainly contrast well with ideas for social media marketing and app ideas. I just want to take the time to thank Ben and Nick for all their time and hard work on this project.”

Isobel Arden, Chair of SPARK!, said:

“Working with Ben and Nick was a very positive experience. They were very patient with reworkings and could take feedback well, explaining to SPARK! What constructive criticism looked like.

All brains were welcome, and when there was a surge of ideas, they could manage them well. I would also draw attention to how they remained very neutral about the options of designs they created, not influencing our choice. As a young person, I felt seen, heard, respected and creatively encouraged. (Can we clone them?)”

Claire Gevaux, CEO of Culture Chelmsford, said:

“Ben and Nick brought huge energy and creativity to Spark’s rebrand, creating a fun, inclusive and inspiring space for Spark! to shape their new identity. Their process was clear, thoughtful, and genuinely collaborative; they listened deeply and responded to feedback at every step. Their expert guidance, from sharing creative insights to coaching young people on how to work with consultants, helped Spark grow their creative and production skills and confidence. The design options, and ultimately the final logo and full branding kit, absolutely delighted Spark and us too! Spark has the brand guidelines and assets, and they’re excited about how this fresh, bold identity will strengthen their reputation and boost future recruitment. Thank you Ben and Nick!”

Find out more about Ben Stanbury and Nick Hearne and Ignite Chelmsford.

Find out more about SPARK!, their Young Cultural Changemakers Programme and how to get involved here.