Art Workshops & Community Engagement

Animation & Illustration

alike creative. began working with UN Women in 2015 to support in the design of communications materials for various campaigns toward Gender Equality and to End Violence Against Women. Our on-going relationship has so far included the design of many printed materials such as reports, event banners and information flyers. As well the creation of animations and video testimonials, infographics and illustrations for social media and websites such as the one at this link. The first animation below was produced in collaboration with UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and launched to coincide with International Women's Day on 8 March 2021. alike creative. worked with an animator to bring the collages of Steve Tierney to life, creating a unique and vibrant video that works to tell the stories of women in the region, highlight their achievements and celebrate their work. Seven stories of the achievements made by leaders in the judiciary, communities and women's rights movements across the region toward accessing justice and legal rights during the global pandemic.  The second video was created for UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in November 2019 to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign. The theme of the 2019 campaign was “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands against Rape!” The theme highlights the need to end the “rape culture” that is entrenched in our society, whether in situations of conflict, peace, in our homes or on the streets. alike creative. worked with illustrator and animator María Ponce to create this beautiful video. The third video was created for UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in November 2021 to highlight the lack of gender-differentiated policies within the prison system in the Philippines. This combined with the gender gap in the justice chain, deprives women in conflict with the law of meaningful access to justice. alike creative worked directly with UN Women staff and illustrator and animator Márcia Lete to create this bold and stylish video.

Art Direction & Illustration

Girls Not Brides is a global partnership of more than 1000 civil society organisations from over 95 countries around the world, committed to ending child marriage and enabling girls to fulfil their potential. alike creative. was asked to work with the team to produce a set of new and exciting training resources, which offer a carefully planned series of workshops, all designed to empower young people; both by building knowledge around child marriage and by strengthening the skills they need to become powerful change makers. The outcome of this work is a unique set of training resources built on playful design, bold illustrations and accessible educational material for use by youth-led organisations, and those working directly with young people, all forging the way to end child marriage. (Illustrations by Ariadna Vásquez)

Art Direction & Social Media Campaigns

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) makes up around 700 unions and represents more than 4.5 million transport workers from 150 countries. They aim to promote respect for trade unions and fight for human rights worldwide. As well as provide general assistance to transport workers in difficulty. alike creative. began working with ITF in 2016 on various campaigns and brand hacks calling on the Australian Government to take action on human rights abuses in industry supply chains. Over the past 5 years we've grown our relationship to supporting ITF's UK team on international campaigns and internal documents. This work includes the design of reports, industry guidelines and workers toolkits. As well as event materials, infographics, flyers and social media campaigns and branding. The examples below show a broad range of the important work we've completed between 2016 and now. Coordinated campaigns against multinationals and governments that improve transport workers' rights, equality and justice.

Event Installation & Artwork

In September 2019 alike creative. was invited to New York to collaborate with the NoVo Foundation and a small group of young feminist activists on the design of an event for the 2nd Girls' Funds Convening, which was held in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. It was seen as an important opportunity for members of International Girls' Funds to seed new and deepen existing relationships for collaboration in 2020 and beyond. As part of the activation Steve Tierney was asked to create 20 collage artworks that were printed on giant 2x3m banners and hung within the Atrium of the Botanic Gardens. Each of the images featured the inspiring, complex and unfiltered words of girls' stories of resistance against patriarchal violence, racism and other forms of oppression within their own lives.  One year on from the event alike creative. worked with the same team to create a webpage and social media campaign in order to share those stories with the broader community of girl activists and social justice movements around the world. Sample imagery of the banners and webpage can be seen below.

Website Design & Art Direction

The Global Resilience Fund is a partnership between social justice funders committed to resourcing girls' and young women's activism though the COVID-19 crisis.  In August 2023 alike creative. collaborated with the team at Purposeful to re-design their website, which had not been updated since 2021. We created a series of collage artworks that have been used across the site with photos taken by young feminist activists globally. The website allows them to provide emergency response funding to girl-led and centred organisations across every region of the world. Within the first year of launching they had supported 120 groups from 67 countries.  In May 2021, alike creative. were also asked to support in the design and launch of Weathering The Storm. An 80 page report that draws on the lessons learned from The Fund. The report brings together diverse voices from across the globe and from funder and activist communities. It was launched as an online document and included external links to the panelists' own experiences of surviving and organising through a global pandemic. A group of young activists who helped decide where the funding went.

Art Direction & Infographics

alike creative. has been supporting the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation since 2016. We were initially engaged by the gender equality team to develop a conceptual infographic model on empowerment of women and girls. This model was presented in a White Paper: Conceptual model of women and girls' empowerment.   The examples below are taken from the White Paper. The graphic conceptual model on empowerment of women and girls (bottom) was developed in close partnership with the Foundation and KIT Royal Tropical Institute. The model aims to provide conceptual clarity and a common language on what empowerment of women and girls means for the foundation.

Web design & Art Direction

In the second half of 2021 alike creative. collaborated with several artists and one curator from Nepal. As well as staff from the UN Women Regional Offices in Nepal and Bangkok to create an interactive website and virtual exhibition titled 'We for Us'.  Improving women's access to justice depends on systemic change in legal frameworks, hand-in-hand with change in social and cultural norms. This online gallery presents a collection of artworks that embody the experiences of two iconic gender equality activists in Nepal, as they seek justice for their communities. Art is a powerful medium that can challenge and question our beliefs and perceptions, helping to create a safe space for conversations, exchange and sharing of ideas. The entire website was created using Webflow online software. The graphic portraits were created by Steve Tierney using images and artworks supplied by the artists. The completed live site will be launched in early 2022 with English and Nepali language options. http://asiapacific.thddns.net:3110/we-for-us/index.html

Art Direction & Infographics

We love working with complicated, technical material. With over 20 years experience in information design and data visualisation, we take pride in offering a diverse service that can simplify scientific reports for conservative, corporate partners. As well as being able to create vibrant and edgy designs that can bring specialised material to life for much broader audiences. alike creative. has been supporting UNESCO since 2014. Our relationship began with the design of several illustrative infographics (bottom) launched as posters to coincide with International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, 2014. The designs were translated into 12 languages and launched globally through a social media campaign. More recently we were asked to support in the design of a highly technical research report (below) Cracking the Code: Girls’ and women’s education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), highlighting what the education sector can do to promote girls’ and women’s interest in and engagement with STEM education and ultimately STEM careers.

Artwork & Installation

As well as managing alike creative. I work and exhibit as a mixed media artist, specialising in the medium of collage and assemblage. Since 2003 I've exhibited my personal artwork in solo and group shows internationally and within Australia.  In 2018 I began collaborating with photographer Tanja Bruckner to create artwork that confronts belief systems and reforms mindsets around gender, beauty and the body by interchanging the traditional with the unexpected. Together we use photography and collage to disrupt notions of representation in popular culture by replacing the typical female model with my own body. The final cut and reassembled photographs of the human figure challenge everyday fashion photography and classic collage techniques.  Some examples of this work can be viewed below.

Art Coordination & Workshops

To celebrate the United Nations International Human Rights Day in December 2012, legal aid organisation, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) sought to bring creative workshops into Pursat prison, Cambodia. As an artist, I was invited to participate along with a large group of international and Cambodian lawyers, musicians, dancers other artists. Teaming up with my friend and colleague at the time, Alix Buck, we created a graphic image, which the prisoners could apply to small flags using silk screens provided as part of an art workshop on the day. Each participant was given a copy of the International Declaration of Human Rights and asked to share their own message of what human rights means to them, as well as voicing any thoughts or wishes they had for themselves. Once completed the flags were strung up in the recreation yard in the style of Tibetan prayer flags so people could walk around and read the messages within. All of the artists involved volunteered their time for this project. Materials were paid for by International Bridges to Justice. Photos © samjamphoto.com  |  Concept and flag graphic designed by Steve Tierney

Crowdfunding & Book Design

'What Is A Homeland?' was a personal project inspired to raise awareness of the benefits for indigenous Australians living on the land passed on to them by their ancestors, known as homelands. It was funded through an Indiegogo campaign in 2011. In late 2010, having spent 6 weeks volunteering in the Aboriginal homeland of Yilpara (also known as Baniyala) in North East Arnhem Land, my partner and I created this book based on interviews initiated with the community of Yilpara. It is a self published educational booklet on cultural rights and the importance of homelands in Australia. All copies of the book were donated to the people involved, allowing them to share the positive aspects of their life with other visitors to their small community of 150 people. Several copies were also sent to key representatives within the Australian Government involved in policy making on indigenous issues. There has been recent discussion with other communities in regards to publishing new editions based on various other homelands in the Northern Territory.

Art Workshops & Community Engagement

Trayectivo is a community art project initiated by myself and two friends living in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2013. Trayectivo is a cultural city walk through the streets of Oaxaca where participants are introduced to the various independent art spaces within the city. The logo and identity was created to be adaptable to the changing dynamics of each event and the spaces visited. The project holds 4 to 5 large open events per year, and smaller private events upon request or invite. The idea behind Trayectivo is to open up the many, lesser known, creative spaces and cooperatives functioning within the city centre to the public and the many tourists who visit the city from all over the world.