Hand sanitiser and PPE has become just as essential in our lives as drinking water and toilet paper. When we are shuffling out the door making sure we’ve grabbed our phone, keys, headphones and other essentials, we promptly make sure we’ve packed our cleaning products to keep the covid away as much as possible.
From a visual perspective however, we can all agree that the packaging and distribution of sanitizers is not vibrant nor is it eye-catching. Well, that is until now.
Manchester event and venue design agency DECORDIA have unveiled new hand sanitiser pillars in collaboration with local artists who have created a unique design for each pillar to be used at the Manchester Flower Show.
DECORDIA designs, builds and installs festival and venue architecture for over 20 festivals such as Parklife, Rewind, Tramlines, Truck, Y Not!, Neighbourhood Weekender, Boardmasters and Bluedot. The small business is also responsible for a lot of the design and props sourced for Junkyard Golf Club and The Crystal Maze Experience.
Since the pandemic, the Salford based agency turned their attention to ways they could help the local community. This has included hosting online creative workshops for those who are currently unemployed or furloughed and looking at their environmental impact as a business.
“After the second lockdown I was aware of how plain and serious everything in the city had become. Bright engaging shop signage was instead, remnants of Christmas displays. The usual spring painted chalk boards were missing, and fun illustrative posters promoting festivals and UV club night posters were replaced with clinical looking signage about wearing masks and keeping our distance from each-other. We couldn’t visit art galleries or see set designs at the theatre. I missed engaging with all different types of art, and instead realised most my daily interaction was with hand sanitiser units as I pumped yet another dollop of alcohol gel onto my hands.
It occurred to me that if this was what everyone was interacting with each day, then this didn’t need to be a purely clinical engagement, but instead it could be a moment of colour, a creative boost, and a chance to brighten up an action we associate with darker days.
We are so delighted that City Co have invited us to display these for use at the Manchester Flower Show where they will have their hand sanitising debuts!”
– DECORDIA, Managing Director, Cordelia Ashwell.
As it stands there are currently 6 pillars that have been designed by local artists: Olli Ryder, Luke Passey, Qubek, Becki Miller, Salvatore Pagona & Philip Horrocks.
DECORDIA is looking forward to officially unveiling the first 6 pillars for use at the Manchester Flower Show from the 29th May-6th June. You will be able to use them in the following locations- New Cathedral Street, King Street and St Ann’s Square.
Businesses and venues can get in contact with DECORDIA to commission their own hand sanitiser pillars which in turn will be supporting local creatives in the Manchester community. A different local artist will design each one making them all completely unique to each other. Get in touch with DECORDIA if you would like to purchase one for your business.
