Cardiff Design Festival

Brief

Collate and present, for a wide age group audience, the history and biodiversity of Monmouth Cemetery. Liaise with a community group comprising volunteers and local authority officers in order to develop a programme for the production of interpretive graphics and information literature, in Welsh and English. Undertake all aspects of copywriting and design; supervise translations, production of graphic panels and installation. Maintain communication with site contractors and meet a fixed budget.

Result

The end product exceeds expectation and has won universal approval – “The scope of ideas used and the quality of the work produced was of the highest standard and has been recognised by the Rural Development Plan for Wales as quality standard for Monmouthshire’s projects.” - Debbie McCarty. The interpretation highlights the site’s significance for visitors to appreciate its wildlife and learn something of the lives of those buried there, including heroes, prison inmates and workhouse paupers.

Solution

In addition to supplied information, we undertook our own research through dialogue with local people and archives kept in Monmouth Museum. We also extensively surveyed the site and photographed the detail on headstones. It seemed important that our proposal should be sympathetic to the architecture and environment and present the Cemetery as both a social record and an expression of periodic change in style and language. Our final scheme uses large format wall graphics and fold-out A3 leaflets.