Behind the design of our season brochures and posters
A season programme begins long before the curtain rises. At Figueres a Escena, it also begins with a visual idea: a colour, a texture, a photograph, a typeface, or a simple gesture that can bring many different performances into one shared world. Our brochures and posters are designed to help audiences discover that world before they enter Teatre El Jardí, Sala La Cate, or one of the spaces connected to our cultural network.
The season includes theatre, music, dance, cinema, opera, circus, and shows for children and families. Each discipline has its own rhythm and atmosphere, yet the programme must feel coherent as a whole. The design process is therefore a balance between identity and variety, clarity and imagination, recognition and surprise.
A printed programme is also a practical object. It needs to guide readers through dates, venues, artists, ticket details, and age recommendations. At the same time, a poster has to make an immediate impression from a distance, whether it appears in a shop window, on a street panel, or in a social media feed. Every decision has a purpose.
From programme to visual language
The first stage is to understand the character of the season. We look at the relationship between the shows, the calendar, and the experiences we want to create for the public. A season built around contrasts may call for an energetic visual system, while a programme with a strong reflective or theatrical quality may benefit from a quieter approach.
Rather than illustrating every event in the same way, we create a flexible visual language. It may include a distinctive colour palette, a repeated graphic shape, a particular relationship between image and text, or a typographic treatment that works across multiple formats. These elements give the season a recognisable signature without flattening the personality of individual productions.
The design concept must also reflect Figueres. Local cultural life, the architecture of our venues, the city’s creative energy, and the way audiences move through shared spaces all inform the final result. The brochure is not simply a catalogue of events; it is a map of the season and an invitation to participate in it.
Designing for different audiences
A family show, an experimental dance performance, and a live concert do not speak to audiences in the same visual register. Their posters need to communicate different levels of energy, intimacy, humour, or intensity. The challenge is to make each event distinctive while ensuring that people can immediately recognise it as part of Figueres a Escena.
Audience needs guide the amount and hierarchy of information. A first-time visitor may need a clear explanation of the format, while a regular theatre-goer may be looking for the artist, date, and venue at a glance. For children’s and family programming, friendly imagery and accessible language can make the invitation feel more welcoming. For talks, workshops, and community activities, the design must leave room for practical details.
This is why visual communication works alongside the programme team and the artists. A production’s subject, tone, and intended audience can all influence the creative direction. In some cases, a strong photograph leads the design. In others, an abstract composition gives the public space to imagine what they will experience.
Our wider cultural programme also includes conversations and encounters connected to performance. For example, audiences can find a different kind of relationship with stage practice through actor-led conversation, where the emphasis shifts from promotion to direct exchange and reflection.
Colour, typography, and image
Colour is often the first element people notice, but it has to do more than attract attention. It helps organise the season, establish mood, and create relationships between different communications. A warm tone may suggest proximity and celebration; a cooler palette may create a sense of concentration or mystery. Contrast is equally important because it determines whether information remains legible in print and online.
Typography carries the voice of the organisation. The selected typefaces need to express the character of the season while remaining easy to read at different sizes. Headings, dates, artist names, and practical information each require a clear hierarchy. When typography is carefully structured, a reader can understand a poster in seconds and explore the brochure at a more leisurely pace.
Images bring another layer of meaning. We may work with photography, illustration, archival material, collage, or digitally created elements, depending on the project. The strongest image is not always the most literal one. Sometimes a suggestion, detail, or unusual crop creates more curiosity than a straightforward representation of the performance.
| Design element | Main purpose | Where it matters most |
|---|---|---|
| Colour palette | Creates mood and season-wide recognition | Posters, social media, venue signage |
| Typography | Organises information and expresses tone | Brochure pages, event listings, headlines |
| Photography or illustration | Suggests the experience of a production | Campaign images and feature posters |
| Layout system | Makes varied content feel coherent | Printed programme and digital listings |
| Accessibility choices | Improves reading and navigation | All public-facing materials |
One identity across venues
Teatre El Jardí and Sala La Cate have different physical qualities and histories. A design system needs to work in both places without making them feel interchangeable. The same visual language can appear differently depending on the scale of a foyer, the atmosphere of a rehearsal room, or the way a poster is seen from the street.
Consistency becomes especially important when materials appear in many locations. A season poster may be displayed beside other cultural announcements, while a brochure may be picked up at a venue, library, school, café, or municipal building. Clear branding helps audiences understand where the information comes from, even when the material is encountered outside the theatre.
The network also hosts workshops, talks, rehearsals, educational activity, and community events. These formats require adaptable templates that can be produced efficiently without losing care. A strong design system gives each communication enough personality while reducing unnecessary repetition in the production process.
From printed page to digital screen
A brochure invites sustained attention. People can hold it, mark a date, share it with someone at home, or return to it when planning an evening. Its physical qualities matter: paper weight, colour reproduction, spacing, and the sequence in which information is revealed. The design has to remain useful after the initial visual impact has passed.
Posters operate under different conditions. They must communicate from a distance and compete with the movement of the city. Digital versions have another set of demands, including mobile readability, quick loading, and formats suited to websites, newsletters, and social platforms. A successful campaign keeps its core identity while adjusting composition and detail for each channel.
This adaptation is not a matter of copying one file into several sizes. A horizontal banner, an Instagram post, a printed A3 poster, and a programme spread each give the image and information different amounts of space. We preserve the key elements, then make deliberate choices about scale, cropping, order, and emphasis.
Making every season accessible
Good design should welcome people in, not make them work unnecessarily hard. That means using sufficient contrast, readable type sizes, clear date and venue information, and a logical structure. It also means considering how information is understood by people with different levels of familiarity with the performing arts.
Accessibility extends beyond the page. The programme should help audiences decide whether an event suits them by identifying duration, language, age guidance, format, and relevant access information whenever available. Clear communication supports independent planning and makes cultural participation feel more straightforward.
The same care applies to ATEB, our theatre school for children, young people, and adults. Educational activity has its own tone and priorities, so its materials should feel inviting and energetic while remaining connected to the wider Figueres a Escena identity. Design can help show that learning, performing, watching, and meeting are all part of one cultural ecosystem.
Choices that strengthen the campaign
The most effective season materials are built through many small decisions. Before approving a final poster or brochure, we consider how the design will behave in real settings, how quickly the essential information can be found, and whether the visual idea remains meaningful across the whole programme.
Useful principles include:
- Start with the audience experience, then select the visual treatment.
- Give dates, venues, and ticket information a consistent, easy-to-find position.
- Create a flexible graphic system rather than forcing every event into one image.
- Test designs at street distance, on a phone, and in printed form.
- Keep accessibility and production practicality in the creative conversation from the beginning.
These principles allow the communication to remain expressive without becoming confusing. They also help the campaign evolve during the season, when new photographs, additional activities, or changes in format need to be incorporated quickly and accurately.
The finished brochure or poster is only one part of the work. Its real purpose is to connect people with a performance, a conversation, a workshop, or a shared moment in the city. Explore the current Figueres a Escena programme, choose an event that catches your eye, and let the design lead you towards the experience waiting inside.