Harewood House: Seeds of Hope

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Harewood House: Seeds of Hope
Brand Identity & Print Design

Seeds of Hope is a multi-sensory, immersive installation created by Lord Whitney for Harewood House, a grand stately home in a beautiful part of Yorkshire, England. Filled with detailed sets and reflective soundscapes, audiences are guided on a journey through hidden spaces and into the past – some 100 years ago. Seeds of Hope is a work of fiction based on real people, stories and historical research from Harewood's past. It commemorates the end of WWI and honours the incredibly important work of the gardeners in supporting the war effort, feeding the home front and the front line. It is a story that celebrates life, community and spirit. Inside the installation, you will unearth personal letters, photographs and objects, and explore the stories of the women who worked the land, of injured soldiers who sought solace in the Walled Garden and much more.

Passport were asked by Lord Whitney to create a brand identity for the event and the aesthetic we developed is centred around an organic, illustrative logomark that suitably reflects the name. This is complemented by classically inspired typography, while a contemporary take on vintage colour palettes helps to bridge the gap between old and new. The identity was applied across a range of printed and digital collateral such as invitations, banners, signage and promotional social media imagery.

The other side of Passport's involvement in the project covered the design of many set piece items including an interactive journal that helped to establish an appropriate atmosphere for this site-specific event as well as lead visitors around the space. We recreated replica telegrams, letters, notices, lists, maps and order forms as authentically as possible. We also created graphic icons for each of the individual characters of the story to help people navigate the installation.

Seeds of Hope uses contemporary art to connect with heritage and invite new and existing visitors into unseen, unused spaces. The project pushes boundaries of bringing history to life by offering audiences and commissioners an opportunity to step away from traditional museum exhibitions and engage the viewer in a much more creative, meaningful way. The installation runs at Harewood House from the summer through to November 2018. Over the course of the season, the 1,269 sunflowers individually planted in sandbags, lining the old greenhouse, will grow up through the structure – each a symbol of the 1,269 soldiers who were treated at Harewood when it was an auxiliary hospital for those injured in the field.

Credits

Concept, Set Design & Installation by Lord Whitney

Journal Illustrations by Paul Kelly

Photography by Helena Dolby

Venue – Harewood House