• PR and media relations
• Campaign strategy and communications
• Brand and content development
• Social media strategy and content creation
• Copywriting
• Media training
• Community and stakeholder engagement
• Case studies and storytelling
• Event communications
• OOH and non-traditional advertising
• Design and print
• Photography and video
• Paid social
• Ambassador engagement
• Crisis communications
• Communications toolkits

In 2022, very few people understood what Children’s Capital of Culture was – or why Rotherham was doing it.

We helped turn the idea into a recognisable, playful and confident campaign, developing the messaging, content and creative needed to explain the ambition to residents, young people, schools, communities, partners and the media.

And we didn’t just talk about young people. We made them part of the communications process, creating a youth panel to test ideas and messaging, while speaking to headteachers, community leaders and local organisations to understand what would resonate across the borough.

The 2022 pilot was our first big opportunity to show people what Children’s Capital of Culture could look like. We generated PR around the programme of arts, culture, wellbeing and skills activity, securing more than 100 pieces of positive coverage, including national and TV coverage, and helping to shift the tone of the conversation about Rotherham.

We also worked creatively beyond traditional media. Children’s Capital of Culture cushions appeared in Rotherham’s libraries. Culture banners went onto park gates, fairground barriers, leisure centres and soft play centres. Campaign materials were distributed through schools, cultural venues and communities across South Yorkshire.

As the project developed, so did our role. We continued to find stories within the programme – from young people taking part in creative traineeships to community activity, cultural events and the people making Children’s Capital of Culture happen. We created case studies that put real young people at the heart of the story, trained spokespeople, supported media opportunities and helped the team respond to issues and challenges as they arose.

The communications strategy evolved too. As 2025 got closer, the focus moved from explaining the idea to building anticipation for the biggest year in Rotherham’s cultural calendar. A key part of our work was challenging the old narrative about Rotherham. Rather than simply broadcasting positive messages, we looked for stories that gave people a reason to see the borough differently – showcasing its young people, creative talent, communities and cultural ambition. That meant being proactive with local and regional media, rebuilding relationships with editors, finding fresh angles and looking for opportunities to take the story beyond the usual cultural press.

By the time 2025 arrived, Children’s Capital of Culture was no longer an idea that needed explaining. It was a major cultural moment for Rotherham.

Big ideas

PR was only part of the recipe. We wanted Children’s Capital of Culture to be something people could see, touch and experience – not just something they read about in the local paper. So we came up with a series of big, playful ideas designed to get Rotherham talking.

“Culture’s coming! We saved you a seat.”
How do you get families excited about a cultural programme? Put the invitation somewhere they already go. We created a series of colourful cushions for local libraries, emblazoned with the message “Culture’s coming! We saved you a seat.” The cushions gave families a physical reminder that something was coming to Rotherham and that they had a place in it. They became a talking point in libraries across the borough, while helping take the campaign beyond traditional advertising and into the places where local families already spend time.

“You’re Not From New York, You’re From Rov’rum”
To mark the beginning of Rotherham’s landmark festival year, we had a launch moment that felt unmistakably Rotherham – a 25-metre illuminated sign at Rother Valley Country Park, featuring the now-famous Arctic Monkeys lyric “You’re Not From New York, You’re From Rov’rum.” The installation transformed a familiar local landmark into a giant declaration of pride – giving the 2025 celebrations a striking visual reason for media to cover the story.

A garden with a difference
When Children’s Capital of Culture was invited to create a garden at the RHS Flower Show, we knew there was little point creating another beautiful but conventional floral display. So Rotherham created a teenage dirt park, a nod to the skate and BMX culture that is part of everyday life for many teenagers. It deliberately stood out among the more traditional floral displays, turning heads and challenging expectations of what an RHS garden could look like. Cue coverage on Gardeners World, BBC, The Times and across regional media.

Rotherham’s first opera
When the borough staged its first-ever opera with RBO, we knew we had a story. Rather than treating it as another event in a busy cultural programme, we built the PR around the simple fact that Rotherham was doing something for the very first time and with children and young people performing it.

The result was national attention, including coverage on ITV, helping take the Children’s Capital of Culture story beyond South Yorkshire and onto a much bigger stage.

Hello, giant baby
For the grand finale of Rotherham’s Children’s Capital of Culture year, a giant 30ft baby landed in Rotherham town centre.

Part art installation, part celebration and impossible to ignore, the giant baby became the centrepiece of the final celebrations – reflecting the sense of playfulness, imagination and ambition that had defined the programme. It was exactly the kind of idea we love: slightly bonkers, highly visual and guaranteed to make people ask, “Why is there a giant baby in Rotherham?” The baby went viral online, and the media went gaga for it.

Over the course of the Children’s Capital of Culture programme, we built a sustained media profile for Rotherham and, crucially, changed the conversation around the town’s cultural offer and its young people.

From the initial bid through to the finale, the campaign generated more than 650 pieces of media coverage across local, regional, national, broadcast, business, arts and culture media.

The result was a long-term, high-volume media presence that helped position Rotherham as a place where children and young people are not simply audiences for culture, but active creators, decision-makers and contributors to the town’s future. The wider Children’s Capital of Culture programme went on to deliver hundreds of events and activities throughout 2025, with children and young people helping to shape and deliver the programme.

For us, the biggest measure of success wasn’t just the numbers. It was seeing the conversation around Rotherham change – and helping create a platform for young people to tell their own stories, celebrate where they’re from and influence what happened next. We were proud to be part of that journey from the very beginning.