Behind the ‘This is Your Fringe’ Artwork: Jacqueline Briggs on Culture, Inspiration, and Collaboration

Jacqueline Briggs, the talented illustrator behind our stunning ‘Be United Presents: This is Your Fringe’ poster, works from her studio in Inverness, nestled in the Highlands of Scotland. Drawing inspiration from her rich Papua New Guinean and Scottish heritage, Jacqueline’s work is deeply rooted in her fascination with people and culture. She primarily focuses on portraiture and observational drawing, using a variety of mediums to create illustrations, murals, and public artworks with a socially engaged approach.

We sat down with Jacqueline to discuss her artistic journey and our collaboration.

Tell us a little about yourself.

J.B.: I grew up in the Black Isle, which is just a little bit outside of Inverness. I then went off to study illustration in Dundee before returning home. Currently, I work in a studio in Inverness as a freelance illustrator, though I always seem to have some sort of side job (laughs), as many of us do…

This is your first collaboration with Be United. What motivated you to join this project?

J.B.: I hadn’t heard of Be United before you reached out, but after reading about it, I thought, “Yeah, this sounds really good and really beneficial”. It doesn’t come across like tokenism either; it feels inclusive and like you’re doing it for the right reasons.

The brief was really fun too. Being asked to design a poster for a Fringe music event, and having the chance to listen to the artists, was exciting because I hadn’t done anything like that before. And it felt fairly open, I could interpret it however I wanted which was lovely as well.

And what is your experience of the Fringe?

J.B.: I’ve only been once, but it was really cool. I mostly saw plays, like improv performances, and it was a few years ago now. I loved being there—you always want to see more than you can because there’s just so much going on.

Could you tell a bit about the process itself of creating the artwork for ‘Be United Presents: This is Your Fringe”?

J.B.: We had an initial chat about what your ideas were, and you were very supportive, allowing me to do my own thing. You sent me the music that the event would feature, and I started by creating a mood board with ideas that inspired me. I loved that Collin [Creative Director at Be United] mentioned not wanting a cliché, like using rasta colours (laughs). I was mainly looking at 90s hip-hop event posters. I wanted that sort of exciting feeling about it, an underground sort of thing.

Initially, I thought about incorporating braids into the design. I feel like hair is a big thing and… I don’t know… I came across lots of images of people dancing with braids or with different braid patterns, and I was drawn to it.  After another discussion, we leaned more into the Afrofuturism idea, inspired by some images on the mood board. That was a lot of fun—combining traditional tribal symbols with a futuristic aesthetic was super exciting.

Be United focuses on providing opportunities for emerging artists, especially within the Black community. Why do you think this is important in Scotland?

J.B.: I definitely think it’s important. I think we probably are mostly underrepresented. It is great to know that there is a community out there as well. It took me a while to even… Well, until the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, it took me until then to realise that other people cared about it. I’ve grown up without many Black or Brown people about, so I was so used to… (sighs) Well, sort of hiding that part of myself and not celebrating it. It was really powerful for me to just realise that other people cared about it and I wasn’t alone.

I think Be United is brilliant because it’s bringing people together and making you aware of what’s out there in a really positive way.

That’s really nice to hear, Jacqueline! So, what is next for you, what are you working on now?

J.B.: I’ve always got community-based art projects on the go. Right now, I’m working with a group of other artists to offer free arts and wellbeing workshops for the New Scots and migrant communities in Inverness. I just enjoy meeting and working with different people.

Illustration-wise, I’d quite like to get into learning much more about it and doing my own stuff. (laughs) I’ve done a lot of ceramics before which I haven’t got back to, so I’d quite like to do a wee bit more of that and combine it with illustration.

We’re excited to see what’s next for Jacqueline, and we’re proud to have her as part of the ‘Be United Presents: This is Your Fringe’ journey.

If you’re as captivated by her work as we are, be sure to follow her on Instagram @jacquelinebriggsart to keep up with her latest projects and creative explorations.