PHOTOGRAPHER & PROJECT MANAGER : the Soho School of Burlesque 2026 Charity Calendar
How I created and project-managed a charity calendar that raised £800 for Cabaret vs Cancer, including dispatching 120 units across the UK and EU during a family bereavement
In autumn 2025, the Soho School of Burlesque, a longstanding client with whom I have an excellent relationship, commissioned me to lead the full production of their 2026 charity calendar in aid of Cabaret vs Cancer. As both photographer and project manager, I was responsible for everything : image curation, design, print sourcing, e-commerce and a multilingual promotional campaign across the UK and EU. The calendar was dedicated to my father, who was in palliative care during production. He saw a proof copy before he died in January 2026.
October 2025 : curated final image selection from existing content with the school. Obtained model releases from every performer featured. Sourced an eco-friendly printer willing to work on a pre-order basis, eliminating upfront print costs.
November 2025 : completed full calendar design. Created individual promotional assets for each performer and wrote staggered social media promotion strategies with scheduled dates, to maintain consistent visibility without flooding audiences. Ran a teaser campaign in late November building to a December 1st announcement.
December 2025 : public announcement and pre-order launch. Heavy promotional push across social media and in-person events, supported by QR code flyers. Pre-orders open until January 4th 2026.
January 2026 : pre-orders closed with 72 units sold. Ordered 120 units from the printer. Sadly, I was required to travel to Belgium for three weeks as my father entered his final days. He passed away during this period. Dispatch was delayed by three weeks. All customers were contacted directly with an explanation and updated timeline. EU orders were transported to Belgium by my partner attending the funeral, and shipped from there to reduce international postage costs. UK orders were fulfilled on return. I delivered London orders by bicycle.
February 2026 : remaining 20 units handed to the school, sold at classes and events by the end of month. Total fundraising closed at £800 for Cabaret vs Cancer.
THE RESULTS :
120 units produced and fully distributed across the UK and EU
£800 raised for Cabaret vs Cancer
Zero lost or unaccounted orders despite a three-week unplanned absence during the dispatch window
Multilingual campaign reached audiences across five languages and multiple European markets
Calendar dedicated to my father, who passed away from cancer during production and who saw a finished proof copy before he died
Photography & design
Drew on an ongoing body of work produced across regular shoot days with the Soho School of Burlesque. Curated the final image selection and designed the calendar in full, from layout to print-ready files.
Stakeholder & talent management
Coordinated model releases across all featured performers. Produced individual promotional asset packs for each participant and wrote personalised, scheduled social media strategies to create sustained visibility across multiple audiences without overlap.
Multilingual marketing
Opened sales to the EU in recognition of the calendar's international cast. Created promotional content in English, French, Dutch, Italian, and Spanish, with four other performers contributing in their native languages, to reach audiences across multiple European markets.
E-commerce & fulfilment
Built and managed the full sales operation via my webshop, overseeing pre-order cycles, payment processing, and order fulfilment across the UK and EU. Fulfilled London orders by bicycle to reduce costs. UK orders shipped via Royal Mail 48hr. EU orders shipped from Belgium to avoid international postage costs from the UK.
Crisis management
When a family bereavement required me to leave the country unexpectedly during the dispatch window, I proactively communicated the delay to all customers, coordinated an alternative EU fulfilment route through my partner, and ensured no orders were lost or unaccounted for. All 120 units were distributed : 72 pre-orders, 14 sold while in Belgium, 14 gifted to contributors, and 20 passed to the school for direct sales.
