Live Illustration for University of Kent’s World Café Event at St Michael’s Hospice, Hastings
Last month, I was commissioned by the University of Kent as their live illustrator at a dynamic World Café event held at St Michael’s Hospice in Hastings. This event was part of the Coastal Communities and Creative Health project and brought together diverse community members, creative practitioners and health professionals for a series of in-depth conversations about community resources and creative approaches to tackling common seaside town challenges.
The World Café format is a collaborative workshop style where participants rotate through small tables, engaging in open dialogue on key themes. This format encourages the sharing of ideas in a relaxed, café-style atmosphere, fostering creativity and connection.
Coastal Community and Creative Health Hastings live illustration by Esther Springett
For this event, I was tasked with graphic recording and live scribing a series of six case studies, each one a compelling story illustrating different barriers and challenges faced by individuals accessing support in their community. As a visual scribe for events, my role was to capture key insights, emotional highlights and emerging solutions in real time, turning fast-moving discussions into clear, accessible visual summaries.
Working as a live illustrator, I combined handwritten notes, expressive sketches and intuitive layouts to bring each case study to life. The resulting illustrations provided an immediate, vivid record of the event, offering organisers a powerful tool to share with participants, funders and partners. These visuals validated the voices in the room and helped maintain the energy and focus long after the day ended.
“From my personal perspective it was a delight to work with Esther, and if we have any more work in Hastings I will be getting in touch… hopefully we will work together again!”
This project is a great example of how real-time graphic facilitation can enhance community engagement and support creative health initiatives. If you’re interested in using a live scribing or graphic recording expert for your next workshop, conference or World Café event, feel free to get in touch.
