Home Our work Cardboard Citizens

Cardboard Citizens is a London-based theatre company working with people who have lived experience of homelessness. As their neighbours in Hoxton, and an organisation whose mission we believe in deeply, we’ve supported them across a range of projects since 2024, on both a paid and pro bono basis.

That support has included two Big Give Christmas Challenge campaigns, website hosting and updates, strategy training, and in 2025, naming them as HdK’s chosen charity partner. But our most significant collaboration to date is ‘More Than One Story’ – an anthology of new writing from 37 emerging and established writers with lived experience of homelessness, poverty and inequity from across the UK.

Cardboard Citizens - More Than One Story anthology website

The challenge

Launching a national anthology is no small undertaking. Cardboard Citizens needed a digital presence that could carry the weight of the project, from collecting writer submissions to spreading the word, alongside a suite of assets for the launch event at Trafalgar Theatre.

With a small internal team and an ambitious timeline, they needed a partner who understood the sensitivity of the work and could move quickly.

Cardboard Citizens - More Than One Story anthology. Social media stories

The solution

We came on board at the open call stage and worked through to launch night, and beyond.

First, we designed and built the submissions webpage and form – straightforward for writers to use, and easy for the Cardboard Citizens team to manage behind the scenes. When 135 entries came in from across the UK, it held up well.

As the project built towards its November launch, we designed assets across every touchpoint: website, social media and in-person materials for the Trafalgar Theatre.

We captured the launch event in video form, carrying out engaging interviews with writers, and audience members, and catching emotional reactions to the anthology.

How we did it

Designed and built a submissions webpage and form, creating new blocks alongside existing ones to make the process smooth for writers and manageable for the internal team

Worked within Cardboard Citizens’ existing branding, giving it a refresh to make the anthology feel distinct from their other projects

Kept the ‘More Than One Story’ brand central to every design decision, adapting the treatment across formats and sizes from social media through to building posters

Designed and produced a 24-page event programme, tote bag and posters for the Trafalgar Theatre launch

Planned and created organic social content in the lead-up to launch night

Video credit: Dave Barros

Cardboard Citizens - More Than One Story anthology. Social media assets

The results

Over 500 people attended the launch at Trafalgar Theatre on 9 November 2025.

In both 2024 and 2025, Cardboard Citizens exceeded their Big Give fundraising target.

Nuts & bolts

Strategy guidance Advising on how to communicate their work digitally, and being on hand when it matters.

Submissions webpage & form
Designed and built to collect and manage entries from writers across the UK, with the internal Cardboard Citizens team in mind throughout.

Digital asset suite
Design across the theatre page, website and social media, keeping the visual identity consistent from open call to launch.

Print & event materials
A 24-page printed programme and posters for the Trafalgar Theatre launch on 9 November 2025.

Organic social content
Content planned and created in the lead-up to the launch night.

Big Give 2024 & 2025
Campaign messaging, copywriting, email design and creative support for their end-of-year fundraising campaign.

135

digital submissions received for their More Than One Story Anthology

500

attendees at the anthology launch event

Over

£200k

raised across two Big Give campaigns

Cardboard Citizens - More Than One Story live