People of Theatre
People of Theatre is a radical, indie print magazine—built for people who want to slow down, think deeper, and feel more connected to live performance. Each issue spotlights underrepresented artists in theatre and dance, making space for stories that are often sidelined by mainstream culture. As a studio specialising in independent media, we partnered with founder Giuliano Levato to design the inaugural issue, treating theatre as a community practice rather than an exclusive club—inviting readers in with warmth, curiosity, and real substance.
Project Team
Magazine Layout + Brand Refresh: Cecilia Righini
The Challenge
Designing a first edition is a unique challenge: there are no established rules, and content often arrives in unpredictable waves and formats. The magazine needed to feel explicitly anti-elitist—holding political, queer, and thought-provoking work without feeling exclusionary. Because it was intended for free distribution in everyday public spaces (not just cultural institutions), the design had to be bold enough to catch the eye while remaining calm and readable for long-form engagement.
What We Did
We led the branding and design for the first issue, developing a print-first visual identity that is both bold and community-rooted. We refreshed the visual language—typography, colour, and layout—while preserving the spirit of the existing dancing-figure logo.
Crucially, we didn’t just design a single edition; we engineered an editorial layout system that People of Theatre can continue to use as they scale. This sustainable design infrastructure reduces production friction for future issues. Throughout the process, we acted as a strategic creative partner, advising on the trade-offs needed to turn a creative vision into a sustainable publishing project.
Impact
The inaugural issue provided People of Theatre with a confident visual identity and a clear editorial framework. By building a reusable template system, we empowered the team to focus on storytelling rather than technical overhead while keeping the look and feel consistent.
That design foundation supports a bigger mission: making theatre feel less distant and more accessible. Within its first year, People of Theatre grew to over 1,000 subscribers—proving there is a massive appetite for values-led cultural storytelling. You can read our full All Up In Your Business interview with Giuliano Levato in oue Journal.
