25/03/21

Theatre Redundancy to Design Startup Triumph

Designer and illustrator Gail Myerscough has turned her side hustle into a thriving business after being made redundant during the pandemic. 

The entrepreneur lost her job as a retail manager at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester after spending six months on furlough. 

Having run her design studio as a side hustle for six years she decided to take the plunge, work full time on her own business and hasn’t looked back. 

Gail, who works from her studio in South Manchester, said: “I loved my job and it was devastated to lose it after 16 years of service. But I used the time on furlough wisely - to scale up my side hustle into a fully-fledged enterprise – and it’s gone from strength to strength.” 

Gail Myerscough Surface Pattern Design & Illustration specialises in creating bold and colourful designs, influenced by mid-century style and modernist architecture.

Her online shop sells a range of bold & colourful art prints, homewares and stationery.

Gail also works to commission and licenses her art to creative companies. She has created designs for Tom & Teddy, Billable Hour and DefendDigitalMe as well as creating bespoke designs for the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Gail said: “It has always been my dream to work full time on my design business and I’m very excited to begin this new phase in my career.”