Looking for an Illustrator

CALL FOR ILLUSTRATORS

The Project

Upstart Theatre have been commissioned by Royal Botanical Gardens Kew to create a card game for an event at COP26 and follow-up use in educational workshops. We’re looking for an Illustrator/Graphic Artist to join our team and create the artwork for the game and packaging.

We’re particularly interested to hear from artists directly affected by the climate crisis, especially those from the Global South.

The Game

Reforest (working title) is a card game for 3-8 players. The aim of the game is to build a complete ‘forest community’ – a set of 5 cards representing humans, trees, fungi/soil, pollinators, and water. There are 42 cards in the game, representing 8 real-life forests around the world (with 5 cards for each forest). 2 additional cards are ‘deforestation’ cards.

The game is designed to reinforce messaging from Kew about the importance of forests both as a nature-based solution to climate change, and to the biodiversity crisis.

The first players of the game will be attendees at COP26 on Saturday 6th November 2021. They will be politicians, civil servants, industry leaders and journalists.

Following this event, RBG Kew will use the game in education workshops, and we will also explore the possibility of commercial sale.

Art Style

We’re looking for an artist with a bold, magical realist approach who can also give a scientifically accurate rendering of the forest communities the game describes. We’re excited by the magic-realist world of Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, and the bold visual style of board games like Root. Our Pinterest reference board is here.

Schedule

Friday 15 October: first draft of one set of cards, establish the style which will be carried over to all 8 sets

Wednesday 21 October: draft of all cards

Friday 29 October: final versions of all cards & packaging

Rights

The Illustrator will retain the copyright in their work; however, Upstart Theatre Ltd & RBG Kew will be granted exclusive rights for commercial use.

Fee

GBP £3,750 

How to Apply

Please email your portfolio & contact details to recruitment@upstart-theatre.co.uk by 23:59 UK time on Tuesday 12 October.

 

 

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