Freelance Designer

The Oxford Road Corridor are commissioning a designer or artist to create a visual identity for ‘A Road to Pan-Africanism’ (ARPA) — a new project and ongoing project inspired by the historic 5th Pan-African Congress, which took place on the Oxford Road Corridor in Manchester in 1945. The identity should reflect the historical importance of the Congress while connecting to contemporary ideas of solidarity, independence, and internationalism across the African diaspora.

The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of this pivotal event, which served as a catalyst for African independence movements and relocated Pan-African discourse from the Americas and the Caribbean to the UK, and ultimately, Africa. The project celebrates Manchester’s role in this story — as a host, a crossroads, and a point of departure.

This project is a co-commission from Oxford Road Corridor and The Legacies of Enslavement Programme. This position will be part of the team at the Oxford Road Corridor (ORC). Please see below the full design brief.

PROJECT AIMS

• Commemorate the legacy of the 5th Pan-African Congress, especially its 80th anniversary in 2025.
• Create a flexible identity that can be used across a website, events, articles, print, digital, and promotional materials.
• Establish a recognisable and coherent look that links together ARPA-branded events and content, whether historical, cultural, academic, or artistic.
• Celebrate international solidarity, independence, resistance, and movement — themes rooted in the Pan-African Congress and still vital today.

KEY MESSAGES

• A Road to Pan-Africanism is both retrospective and forward-looking.
• It recognises Manchester as a historic turning point — a location of gathering and momentum.
• The Congress was a conduit: connecting people, geographies, and political movements across time and place.
• It honours the global nature of Pan-Africanism, with delegates from Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, Asia, and the UK.
• The identity should signal continuity, movement, and transformation.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

We are looking for a visual identity for ‘A Road to Pan-Africanism’ (ARPA) that could work across the following areas:

• Digital (website banner, social media)
• Print (posters, programmes, flyers)
• On-site branding (banners)

Consider the following elements that will help create a marketing toolkit/brand guidelines that includes:

• Colour palette
• Typography
• Iconography and pattern elements (if applicable)

The identity should be flexible and have the ability to badge events/content as part of the ARPA programme clearly and consistently.

TONE & FEELRespectful and bold — recognising the political and historical weight of the Pan-African Congress.

Dynamic and international — speaking to audiences across continents and cultures.

Rooted and visionary — reflecting Manchester’s local contribution to a global movement.

Can draw on Pan-African colours, symbols, or references — but should feel fresh, not pastiche.

KEY REFERENCE POINTS

The plaque at Manchester Met’s Arts and Humanities Building (formerly Chorlton Town Hall) which commemorates the 5th Pan-African Congress.

Iconography and themes from African liberation movements, internationalist design, and radical solidarity.

The transition of the Pan-African Congress from Manchester to Africa.

Target Audiences

• Artists, academics, students, and local communities on Oxford Road Corridor
• Cultural institutions and civic partners in Manchester
• Diaspora communities across Manchester and the UK
• A global audience engaged in conversations about race, decolonisation, and international solidarity

We actively encourage applications from candidates who are Black, Asian, minority ethnic or from other groups traditionally underrepresented in the UK. We value and respect all differences (seen and unseen) in all people. We aspire to have inclusive working experiences and an environment that reflects the audience we serve, where our people have equal access to career development opportunities, their voices are heard and can contribute to our future. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Many of our staff work flexibly and we will consider all requests for flexible working arrangements.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter which answers the questions below to info@oxfordroadcorridor.com :

1. This commission is seeking a designer who can create brand i-d assets that will be suitable for both print and digital purposes i.e.: posters, brochures, social media. Please use the Design Brief to provide one example from your portfolio that demonstrates how you would approach this commission. You are encouraged to make reference to your experience with the relevant software and equipment that is required to produce these materials. (300 words max or 2 minute audio or video)
2. Please explain what Pan-Africanism means to you and why you feel this webpage is relevant to the Oxford Road Corridor website. (300 words max or 2 minute audio or video)
3. Interviews will take place on Monday 7th July from 5pm-8.30pm, please let us know if you will be available during that time

If you do choose to provide audio or video answers please include your name in the file name.

We appreciate the time taken to prepare each application we receive. We do not use AI-assisted technology to review applications; every application is reviewed by a member of our recruitment team.

The closing date for applications is Friday 20th June at 9am

It is important to us that you feel supported and comfortable throughout your recruitment process, in order to perform your best. Please let us know if there are any changes we could make to help your application, this includes providing documents in accessible formats or personalising the process to better support your needs. Please contact info@oxfordroadcorridor.com to discuss further so we can work with you to support you through your application.