BA (Hons) Graphic Arts & Design Student Work Promoting Local Project

Ray Chan's winning poster

Artwork by Level 5 BA (Hons) Graphic Arts & Design student, Raymond Chan, is currently being used to promote The Growing Together Project in Stockport.


The Growing Together Project is run in partnership with Stockport-based charity SPARC (Stockport Progress & Recovery Centre) and Pennine Care’s Recovery & Inclusion Team. Once a week the Growing Together Project participants take part in the general maintenance of the allotment, which in turn aids their recovery from mental health challenges. The project also encourages a sense of community and social engagement.  Ray's winning poster considers the collaborative spirit of the project alongside the metaphor of growth and development.

BA (Hons) Graphic Arts & Design students were involved in this green-fingered live brief last year, organised through Laura Murphy, responsible for the Stockport Olympic Legacy fund, at Stockport Council.  

Ray Chan with Pennine Care’s Recovery & Inclusion Team

The project was an opportunity for students to literally get their hands dirty as they grappled with a design challenge. The brief was to design a series of posters that would be used to promote the Growing Together Project. At the briefing and ideas development stage, students worked on the allotment for an afternoon, digging and planting – truly hands on design research! They then returned several weeks later to pitch their work to the Growing Together project team.

Students mucking in during the project

The project was a great opportunity for all students to potentially have their work used commercially, in the real world, for a real client. Ray is thrilled to have been chosen:
"I feel really proud seeing my work in use to promote the project at SPARC. Thankyou to the team of choosing me!" Ray Chan