Against the Grain Theatre: A visual identity for a visionary chamber opera company

Against the Grain Theatre, an innovative Canadian opera company renowned for its unconventional performances, approached Acme in 2015 to revamp their visual identity and create cohesive print and digital materials. This collaboration extended to developing a new website and designing creative collateral for two acclaimed productions: “Death and Desire” and ATG’s “Messiah.”

Acme embarked on a transformative redesign that captured the essence of Against the Grain Theatre’s bold and unconventional spirit.

Playing with references to wood grain, soundwaves, vinyl grooves and the letterform ‘O’ (for ‘opera’) a simple circular device became the seed for infinite variations of ‘bent’ logomarks — a riff on the fluid nature of the company, which performs unconventional productions in unconventional spaces.

Death and Desire poster photography by Darryl Block
ATG Messiah poster photography by Matt Barnes