Schauspielhaus Bochum

Visual Identity for Schauspielhaus Bochum. Artdirection & Design. With: Seb Holl-Trieu.
Special Tag: Group Material

In close collaboration with the artistic team and director Johan Simons of Schauspielhaus Bochum, we developed the new visual identity, which embraces the power of one of Europe's most unique theatres. The design refers to visual lingos of the theatre's past yet transfers these styles always playful into the Now – very similar to what happens on the stage: the design never forgets the force of play. Tradition becomes such a process of change.

Schauspielhaus Bochum's new logo is a statement. It does not only refers to the portal of the famous building architecture of Gerhard Graubner, it is also a sign for hospitality: "Verweile, Welt. In Bochum" (Vasco Boenisch, see excerpt in the research column)

Accompanied by the term "Group Material" the communication puts Bochum's ensemble in the spotlight. It highlights the power of plurality and heterogeneity, the dynamics and interaction between us/ the people: The "group" becomes the term to work with - not the single "person" or "actor". The relation between people is what should be focused on. From the beginning the ensemble is part of design thinking, it points out the importance of the theatre as mirror of a larger/mainstream society.

Above: Opening announcement/newspaper. The design starts to shows it's playfullness - but it stays modern and won't loose its classiness. The apperance of the (warning-)box is a matter of urgency - it's another way of pushing strong/ striking elements.

Below: The leading idea of the communication is to put the programm in the foreground. An omnipresent calendar with all plays pushes the main goal: The programm is the starting point of exploring Schaupielhaus Bochum's web plattforms – know what happens within a second! You litteraly can't get rid of it. The programm stays visible all the time.

Next to the omnipresent programm, the website features huge production shots/videos for a rather emotional access as well as a lively news-blog with additional information about the plays and the daily life of Schauspielhaus Bochum. The news-blog features different Helvetica cuts which are also used in print media. Combining extended, normal and condensed cuts relate rather to a "popular", "proletarian", "boulevard" design feeling.

As described above the programm stays visible all the time in the left column of the website. The huge advantage of that design is clicking easily and quickly through the programm. The information/ production page appears in the second column. The design of the web programm/calendar is also transformed into the printed leporello (monthly programm) as well as the billboard on the outside of the theatre. It's an overall, unified and consequent concept.

Printed matter do have importance at Schauspielhaus Bochum: The label "BO-Druck" (BO-Print) publishes newspapers, magazines and little textbooks to various plays in small runs. By developing various templates for further (house)designers the publication can be quickly put together and still vary in sizes: A6 to A3.

To introduce the "Group Material" idea, we artdirected the first shooting of Schauspielhaus Bochum's ensemble. Together with the photographers Jörg Brüggemann, Tobias Kruse and Heinrich Holtgreve (...Brüggemann and Holtegreve grew up in Bochum...) we invited the whole ensemble, the first time together, on the main stage – and documented through 3 lenses the encounter. The rise of public protest and huge demonstrations as a constant picture in the media, was inspiration to that first meeting - a topic photographer Jörg Brüggemann is working on since many years... But also celebrating the start of their new stage together:

Various elements of the design (logo, boxes, quotes, etc.) are also used in social media clips. Too avoid the standardized design possibilities of instagram and co, we developed templates for Schauspielhaus Bochum to design their footage special – transporting the uniqueness of the place:

Bochum under one groove: The logo of Schauspielhaus Bochum and its sublogos (Oval Office, Junges Schauspielhaus) became quickly part of the urban landscape.

The Laboratory of Manuel Buerger artdirected, edited and designed many of the new trailers. The genre of theatre-trailers is a sad one: as rarly nobody watches them anymore. To find new approaches to communicate a theatre play under one minute (and shorter) becomes the task of the contemporary attention economy.

Used Tags