Chloe, Abigail and Katy

Climate Edition, 2018

Portrait of Caitlin and Paul in a workshop. There are workbenches with equipment around them.

Chloe and Abigail Baldwin, Directors of creative agency Buttercrumble, collaborated with Katy Roelich, Associate Professor from the School of Earth and Environment and the School of Civil Engineering in 2018. The pair created Newtopia, a creative way for the public to imagine and communicate their dreams and discuss the impact of climate change.

What encouraged you to apply to Leeds Creative Labs?

Chloe and Abigail: We were excited how all participants joined the experience on an equal footing. We were all in this same boat of exploration, where we have an unstructured space to try ideas together. There wasn’t a strict agenda, so our creativity wasn’t stifled. Instead, we could combine expertise to create something truly innovative.

What was your experience of collaborating?

Chloe and Abigail: Leeds Creative Labs partnered us up perfectly, and we loved joining forces with Dr Katy Roelich. The partnership was effortless because we were both motivated by the creative possibilities – we were able to progress and keep the ball rolling by having additional meetings (or coffee dates)! Together, our focus was on impacting climate-change positively. So, we combined research with visuals to create our project: Newtopia.

Illustration of a girl in a yellow raincoat, waving. There is a photograph of a landscape with wind turbines in the background.

Example of a scene from Newtopia.

Example of a scene from Newtopia.

What changed and what did you produce?

Chloe and Abigail: We were passionate about creating inspirational visuals around climate issues to motivate the general public and decision-makers within the city.

Our outcome was Newtopia, a toolkit of visual assets, to be used by researchers in order to engage with workshop participants. The public can use Newtopia to imagine and communicate their dream cities.

What was the impact of participating on your research and creative practice?

Chloe and Abigail: Leeds Creative Labs has strengthened our relationship with the University for the long-term, as we’ve had the pleasure of continuing the partnership with Dr Katy Roelich as well as other practitioners and departments. As alumni, this is a lovely achievement for us.

Now, our design always relies on research as the first phase because it can act as a keystone for the entire project, giving us a strong strategy and solution. We see ourselves as creative problem-solvers.

What's unique about the Leeds Creative Labs?

Chloe and Abigail: Leeds Creative Labs is special because of the sense of community amongst everyone involved.

Researchers and industry enter into the experience with equatability, and have the rare opportunity to have unstructured space in which to explore and create ideas together without a strict regime. It’s exciting!

What did you do after Leeds Creative Labs?

Chloe and Abigail: We extended our project with Dr Katy Roelich by refining and creating further assets for Newtopia. The illustrations created formed a visual toolkit that can be used as a research workshop method. They can be used by participants to visualise their own dream city and tell a story, without the need for being a fantastic artist or orator.

What's next?

Chloe and Abigail: We will continue to partner with the University of Leeds, as well as spreading our wings further! We have been building relationships overseas in the United States, and we’re about to undertake our next research mission. We have been studying design innovations and attending meetings with American clients during our trips. We are eager to continue learning so we can share our findings at home.

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