In 2024, Tom Cain Theatre and Bill Elms Productions asked me to create the key artwork and full campaign identity for 97+, a powerful theatrical drama written and directed by Tom Cain that explores the lasting trauma experienced by survivors of the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster. Set in 2012, the play focuses on the ongoing emotional and psychological impact on those who lived through the day, their continued fight for justice, and the wider effect on families and the Liverpool community. Produced in collaboration with the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance, the production carries a profound sense of remembrance and responsibility.
The brief called for artwork that would honour all 97 lives lost while creating a strong visual connection to Liverpool Football Club. I developed a single, emotionally resonant composition: a young boy in the 1989 Liverpool kit sitting alone on a bench with his football, too overwhelmed to play. The image quietly captures both the immediate trauma and the cruel passage of time, the living continue to age while those who died remain forever frozen in that moment. The design was carefully structured so the full list of 97 names could sit with quiet dignity at the base, alongside the simple, powerful line “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
This key artwork became the foundation for a cohesive campaign that worked across large-scale outdoor formats, posters, flyers and digital platforms. The bold red palette and prominent “97+” created immediate recognition and impact whether on a city digital poster, a large banner or a social media post. Every element was handled with sensitivity, ensuring the visuals supported the production’s tone of quiet strength and remembrance.
It was an honour to develop artwork for a production that treats its subject with such care and purpose. The resulting campaign gave 97+ a clear, respectful and emotionally direct visual identity that could carry the weight of its story across every format.
