Helping fight cancer with culture

When a close contact was diagnosed with cancer, Andy Rourke of The Smiths was inspired to act. His vision: bring together Manchester's iconic music scene for a one-of-a-kind concert to raise awareness and funds for The Christie. With just a £15k seed fund and a team of six, the challenge was turning an ambitious idea into a major cultural event.

We began by mapping out their contacts and spheres of influence, identifying exactly who needed to come on board and in what order to create momentum. From artists and venues to media partners, sponsors and patrons, the network quickly grew. By getting key players to buy into the vision, we secured a series of in-kind deals covering media, marketing, PR, ticketing, venue hire and production, with sponsorship packages to cover costs and raise additional funds.

Over five years the concert series became legendary, with historic reunions and unexpected collaborations gracing the Manchester arena stage. Standout moments included Noel Gallagher's first orchestral set, Stone Roses and New Order reunions, Elbow teaming up with Doves, and supergroup performances that have gone down in Manchester history. By year two, the brand was so strong that 80% of tickets sold before a single artist was announced.

Our reach extended beyond music. We became the first charity to secure all three major UK political party leaders, David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Sir Menzies Campbell, as joint patrons, which in turn brought all three of the UK's major live music promoters on board and opened up even more access to top-tier artists.

The campaign did not just make noise in the music world. It won over 20 awards for creativity and effectiveness, including a coveted D&AD award. Most importantly, the funds raised for The Christie helped support ground-breaking immunotherapy research, which is now used across the NHS to treat and cure cancer patients.