The north star

Opening up conversations to prevent violence

Services

Sectors

Client

Violence Prevention Unit

Project Name

Wales Without Violence Pop-up Shop

Credits

Rhi Leedam, a woman with long blonde hair, stands smiling indoors in a red-and-white chequered sleeveless dress. Flowers and office decor can be seen in the background.

Dan Sargent, a man with short curly brown hair and a goatee, smiles whilst standing indoors in a plain white long-sleeved shirt. Flowers and large windows brighten the background.

A person with short light brown hair and glasses, wearing a brown jacket over a black shirt, smiling whilst standing indoors in front of a glass wall and some plants.

A smiling woman with long blonde hair, wearing a grey sleeveless dress and a blue cap, stands outdoors with her hands on her hips in front of yellow flowering plants and green trees under a blue sky.

Young voices shaping change

Violence ruins lives. It comes in many forms and affects us all in some way. Whether or not you’ve experienced violence yourself, it is society’s problem, and we all have a responsibility to do something about it.

Working with the Violence Prevention Unit (VPU) and Media Academy Cymru, we set out to create a youth-led initiative that would give young people a chance to speak out against violence and help shape the VPU’s Wales Without Violence campaign.

Shopfront window with colourful, hand-drawn illustrations and text, featuring figures, hearts, and abstract lines. Warm yellow light glows from inside, and chequered flooring is visible outside.

Creating a safe space

Within a week, we had transformed a space in Cardiff’s Duke Street Arcade into an interactive pop-up shop. Designed to feel welcoming and safe, the shop gave young people the chance to share their views without fear of repercussions. Visitors could take part in different activities, from jotting down notes about what made them feel safe and posting them into a confidential letter box, to taking a Polaroid selfie at a station decorated with anti-violence messages, or adding their thumbprint to a solidarity wall in support of a Wales without violence.

Three white shelves display colourful signs, including a rainbow, peace hand symbol, a heart reading “Live in love”, and various text signs in English and Welsh, supporting the Wales Without Violence message against a wooden panel background.

Multiple colourful bags of Candy Kittens gourmet sweets are displayed on wooden shelves against a wooden wall with white text and bright, playful illustrations like rainbows, hearts, and strawberries.

A packet of Candy Kittens gummy sweets is open on a wooden surface, with colourful gummies spilling out. Next to it is a flyer reading YOU DESERVE SAFETY featuring diverse, serious-faced individuals.

A smiling woman in a black jacket stands in front of a decorated window, holding a packet of Candy Kittens sweets. The window features white illustrations, the phrase GOOD VIBES ONLY, and a nod to Wales Without Violence.

Design and collaboration

We wanted the space to feel hopeful, not heavy and intense. A feel-good facts wall spread messages of optimism, while a wellbeing zone offered simple tips for self-care. Every element was designed to show that change is possible and that a Wales without violence is achievable.

To make the storefront uplifting and inspiring, we worked with Cardiff-based illustrator Matt Joyce to create a vibrant mural that set the tone before visitors even stepped inside. His playful, bold style brought energy to the campaign and created a positive first impression.

Our friends at Candy Kittens donated their LOVES range as small gifts for everyone who took part. This simple act added an extra layer of warmth and appreciation, helping young people feel valued for their contributions.

The branding of the space tied it all together: neon green and black evoked the vibrant energy of contemporary nightlife, while linear graphics inspired by the shape of Wales grounded the campaign in place. Photography captured a sense of quiet empowerment, acknowledging fears about violence while showing determination to leave it behind.

A collective impact

The shop was visited by people from all walks of life and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. Most importantly, it gave young people a platform to share their experiences and ideas for preventing violence in Wales.

But the pop-up shop wasn’t just about consulting with the public – it was about co-design as well. The ideas and creative input fed directly into the Wales Without Violence Framework, which drew on the voices of over 1,000 children, young people and professionals across Wales. It also influenced the campaign messaging and the look and feel of the Framework’s design. Find out more about the next phase, helping to develop the Framework itself.

This project showed how creativity can make difficult conversations feel safe, accessible and inspiring – and how it can empower young people to speak up and help enact real change at a national level. It proved to them that their voices mattered.

By blending thoughtful design with youth-led engagement, we helped create a national movement that’s setting out a future free from violence.

A computer screen displays a 3D room design in SketchUp with yellow walls, green plant decor, floating shelves, and a large sign reading I want a Wales without Violence. A laptop dock and barstools are visible.

A woman with blonde hair in a bun is focused on working at a table, pointing at its surface. There’s a potted plant in the foreground and light wooden walls with shelves and hanging items in the background.

A digital rendering of an exhibition space features green and white informational displays, a green-lit wall reading I want a Wales without Violence, a plant, a counter, and a small table with stones.

A woman poses playfully with a neon light stick in a partially furnished room with large windows. Wooden chairs and a table with a hand sign artwork are in the foreground. Building materials are visible in the background.

The pop up shop was a bold and creative way of bringing young people into the heart of Wales Without Violence. It gave them a safe and welcoming space to share experiences that are often difficult to talk about, and to feel part of a movement for change. The feedback we had was overwhelmingly positive. What stood out most was how the design, the branding and the interactive elements all worked together to create an environment where young people felt heard and respected. This project showed what can happen when creativity and prevention come together, and it has left a lasting mark on the campaign.