Firehall Arts Centre
Logo + Brand Identity Design
Creative Direction: Parker McLean
Agency: Harc CreativeSince opening their doors 40 years ago, the Firehall Arts Centre have made a name for themselves by engaging Indigenous and other culturally diverse artists to express their stories. Tasked with reinvigorating their brand to ignite interest among younger audiences, we sought to bring the organization’s rich history to the forefront. With archival and experimental playbills in mind, we reconnected the Firehall brand with their roots by focusing our design approach on human-centred portraiture and a bold, graphic visual treatment.
The fiery icon’s flames play with positive and negative space, and its open, organic shapes and bright vermillion hue provide a dramatic contrast to the solid and structured wordmark. Extended to branded materials, the flame elements appear to burn away to reveal the subjects underneath. This eye-catching visual language creates consistency and recognizability without relying on the theatre to stage its own photoshoots for productions.