ETDC Digital Media designed and built a mission-led website for The Babushka Project, a theatre production from Kindness in Motion CIC, and launched Phase 1 against a 29 August deadline.
Project Snapshot
- Client: The Babushka Project (Kindness in Motion CIC)
- Sector: Theatre and community arts
- Service: Website design and development
- Platform: Framer
- Launch: Phase 1 live by 29 August 2026, with Phase 2 to follow
The Challenge
The Babushka Project needed a home online that told a story, not just sold tickets. The website had to lead with the mission and with its founder, Suzanne, while still getting audiences to the booking page at the Corn Exchange.
Three constraints shaped the build:
- Tone. The brief was explicit: warm and honest, but never a generic children’s charity. Kindness in Motion is a CIC, not a charity, so donate-first language was off the table.
- Deadline. Phase 1 had to be live by 29 August to support bookings and early promotion.
- Budget. The build had to start from a free template, without a paid theme.
Our Approach
We started from the brief, not the template gallery. A theatre-specific template would have put ticketing and venue branding first, which was the wrong story for this project.
- Chose a mission-led foundation. We selected Careon, a free Framer nonprofit template whose mission, founder-spotlight and get-involved sections mapped naturally to the brief.
- Stripped out the charity look. Donate buttons and bright fundraising palettes were replaced with the brief’s restrained cream, charcoal and burgundy, with stage red used sparingly.
- Put real people first. Stock imagery made way for Suzanne, rehearsals and the venue.
- Phased the launch. Phase 1 focused on what audiences needed immediately, leaving deeper storytelling pages for Phase 2.
What We Delivered
Phase 1 (live by 29 August)
- Landing page introducing the project and its purpose
- Direct booking link to the Corn Exchange
- Content guidance for audiences, schools and families
- Support and signposting section
- Contact details and Instagram integration
Phase 2 (structured for build-out)
- The Project, The Play, For Education, Get Involved and About Suzanne pages, planned into the website’s architecture from day one
The Result
The Babushka Project launched on time with a website that feels like the production: warm, personal and purposeful. Audiences can find out what the play is about, book in one click, and see the support available around its themes.
Key Takeaway
The right template is the one that fits the story, not the sector. By building from the mission outward and phasing the launch, we hit a hard deadline on a free-tier budget without compromising the tone the project depends on.