Rickardo Stewart - Roundhouse Head of Brand | Portfolio
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ART AGAINST KNIVES - CHANGE Exhibition + Event Series
My role: Led strategy, creative direction, team leadership, evaluation and reporting, holding the overall vision for the exhibition and event series.
Impact
Developed and launched a youth-led “Manifesto for Change”, framing the creative direction and narrative for the programme.
Co-created 2 podcast episodes with young people and special guests, 2 youth-led music mixtapes, 1 zine and a curated collection of 15 artworks by young people.
Engaged borough-wide senior leaders, including the CEO of Barnet Council, council service leads and local politicians (e.g. Council Leader Barry Rawlings, Sarah Sackman, Cllr Sara Conway), strengthening influence and advocacy.
Reached an audience of 200+ members of the public and created paid employment opportunities for 8 young people.
Achieved a 7% increase in online and retail sales through AAK Gallery, the organisation’s trading arm.
Extended the exhibition’s impact by securing a Highgate Arts Fair showcase, introducing the work to new audiences and networks along with driving sales.
An exhibition of work created by young artists, creatives + activists from across north London - calling for change.
Young people from across our spaces are inviting you to explore the reality of their daily lives through a mixed-media collection of work in which they candidly share their experiences, ambitions and ideas for change - and call on us to take urgent action.
Throughout the course of the year we’ve invited over 300 young people to reflect on their identities, design their futures and imagine change. The work on show is a result of the breadth of their creative talents and a powerful example of what is possible when you put young people in the lead of designing change for themselves and their communities.
Whilst this exhibition has been crafted to amplify young people's voices and connect the public with their visions for change, it’s our hope that it will do more than just inspire. It’s an active invitation for you to understand what action you can personally take to create safe futures for the next generation of young people in our city.
ART AGAINST KNIVES - A Blueprint for Creating Change
My role: Led strategy, creative direction, stakeholder engagement and partner management, overseeing team delivery across launch and follow-up activations.
Partnership: Partnered with Emperor Works to produce a bespoke impact report for AAK, evaluating organisational outcomes and capturing co‑production insights. The collaboration was brought to life through three key activations:
Impact report launch event
Celebrity partnership moment, Helen McGinn BBC Mastermind appearance - charity of choice
Impact film showcasing young people’s stories and the charity’s impact
COMMUNITY SOULS CLEANING COMPANY
My role: Strategic lead for brand, creative direction, marketing and communications, shaping the overall positioning and go-to-market approach.
Impact
Built and activated a distinctive social enterprise brand, developing content, campaigns and key moments that deepened engagement and improved retention across stakeholders, clients and the wider public.
Embedded the Social Value Act 2012 and London Living Wage into brand narrative and messaging, strengthening purpose-led positioning and alignment with values-driven partners.
Delivered a targeted marketing strategy that contributed to increased sales and improved client retention.
AAK NEXT GEN
My role: Led strategy, creative direction, marketing and communications, ensuring a cohesive, youth-centred brand and campaign approach.
Overview: AAK NEXT GEN was co-created with young people as a platform to reach and engage new children and young people, amplifying their voices and visibility.
Partnership: Partnered with Wildish & Co and young people to develop a new youth-centred brand identity, from visual language to tone of voice and comms assets.
Impact
450 young people reached in 2025.
175 young people directly supported through programmes and activity in 2025.
ART AGAINST KNIVES - ELEVATE | Community Nail Bar
My role: Co-founder with responsibility for strategy, creative direction, brand activation and ambassadorial work, youth and stakeholder engagement, team leadership, and impact evaluation and reporting.
A core part of my responsibility is to sustain and grow the IN OUR HANDS model as a safe, creative, empowering space for girls, young women and young people who are trans or non-binary.
Partnership: Partnered with London College of Communication (UAL) to refresh the brand and visual identity of the community nail bar, aligning design, storytelling and space with the experiences and aspirations of young people.
Impact
Established a 14-year community nail bar model that combines creative practice and direct support.
Co-created 5 youth-led zines documenting stories, artwork and reflections from participants.
Reached, engaged and supported 300+ girls, young women and young people who are trans or non-binary through the programme.
Elevate (previously Vales Nails Nail Bar) started on Strawberry Vale estate East Finchley, North London in 2014. We set up the nail bar to meet local young women, listen to their needs and co-design long term provision; as a result Elevate moved to an empty shop unit in East Finchley where it has gone onto support over 300 local young women.
Open every Monday the space is set up as professional nail salon where young women can drop in to get their nails done for free, learn new skills and access a wide range of creative activities. It’s run by a team of specialist staff including a Independent Domestic Violence Advisor and a Young Persons Violence Advisor who deliver targeted activities to address signs of risk: engaging participants to explore issues like violence, abuse, gender equality; and giving them practical tools to stay safe and responding to high-risk disclosures.
Elevate is part of the IN OUR HANDS Programme
ART AGAINST KNIVES - Gallery
