Solopress X Carrot Productions: all round great performance

Carrot Productions is no ordinary events company. Best known for orchestral stage performances like The Snowman, Wallace & Gromit and The Bear and the Piano, they specialise in live events that blend classical music with storytelling. These shows celebrate well-loved family franchises, working with some of the UK’s most iconic storytellers and creative partners. Touring globally, their productions capture imaginations through carefully staged visuals and world-class musicianship.

Through collaborations with Aardman Animation, Penguin Books and other major rights holders, Carrot Productions delivers entertainment that’s as thoughtful as it is engaging. That ethos extends to the materials supporting their shows, from printed programmes to promotional literature. The designs have to work hard to unify multiple voices, visual identities and brand guidelines.

Design and print with performance in mind

Solopress printed and designed the souvenir programme for The Snowman with Live Orchestra, a flagship production in Carrot’s touring calendar. The programme not only showcased the performance itself but also included content from other Carrot shows featuring well-known IPs, including Wallace & Gromit, The Bear and the Piano, and The Snowman and the Snowdog. An eight-page pull-out activity booklet was also designed and printed as part of the finished piece.

Multiple franchises were represented within the programme, each carrying its own visual language and licensing requirements. The design needed to bring everything together under a cohesive, recognisable style. Working through our in-house design service, we helped Carrot refresh their print materials to reflect their values of live performance, storytelling and family entertainment while supporting the needs of their various contributors and partners.

Diverse content, consistent look

We based our work on Carrot Productions’ existing palette and logo to maintain brand consistency. With this in mind, we developed a repeating format that could be applied across sections for different shows. This simple visual thread helps the materials remain distinctively ‘Carrot’ even when the featured characters come from different worlds.

We selected a rounded sans serif font for body copy, chosen for its warmth, clarity and ability to sit comfortably alongside other branded content. To offset the density of text-heavy layouts, we introduced cut-out illustrations and responsive text wraps. This approach allowed each page to feel open and engaging without compromising on detail.

“They’re gorgeous!”

Carrot Productions CEO Rachel Whibley told us, “I love the new look and what you’ve done with them. They’re gorgeous!”

We’re proud to support Carrot in bringing unforgettable live experiences to audiences around the world, and we’re looking forward to what the next performance brings, on stage and on paper. If you’re looking to enhance performances and events, then our Brochures and Booklets product options, in particular Stapled Brochures and Perfect Bound Brochures and Books, make for impressive programmes. If you need help creating professionally laid out, print-ready artwork, the Solopress Design Service is on hand to help.