Don Jack Designer Composer Artist
Founder of IDEAS® and Touring Exhibitions
From creative interventions with WetWetWet, Prince, Robbie Williams, Michael Bolton, and Paul Carrack to remarkable productions from Simon Cowell’s Got Talent TV franchise to the West End, Broadway, Las Vegas, and theatres worldwide, Don Jack also effortlessly caters to his numerous corporate brand design clients at IDEAS®.
Melbourne-based crime, horror, fantasy and romance author Narrelle Harris reflects on a life immersed in creativity.
Dreamer.
Transformer.
Trailblazer.
(so they say)
Don Jack is Creative Lead @ IDEAS® born in Falkirk. Designer | Composer | Artist | Place-maker | Founder of Touring Exhibitions he helps serial entrepreneurs create investor-ready brands.
First love…
Don Jack interacted creatively with the world pretty much from the get-go. He composed his first song at six years of age and at nine, Don conducted his school’s orchestra, leading them to a national music award.
After this early foray into leading folks to victory with creativity, Don went on to hit some important creative highlights in the UK music scene: as vocalist/guitarist for the band Floodlight, drummer with the rock band Marco Polo, and singer/keyboards in Candy, experiencing his first chart success with Burt Bacharach’s Please Stay. If you’re a fan of WetWetWet then Don is one of the people to thank – look for his name on their records.
Don is still making use of the insights he learned from the music business, in that industry and in others. And let’s face it – he has too much energy to be confined to composing for TV and video, though signed to Warner Brothers Publishing; naturally, he does that too. Don has written the book, lyrics and music for Loch Ness – The Monster Musical. On occasion, he fronts the Carnevale Radio Big Band at corporate events, and he has both directed and performed in record-breaking theatre, and devised content for record breaking magic shows in London’s West End, Broadway and Las Vegas. He is a regular contributor to the ‘Got Talent’ franchise and lead creative to cultural festivals, destination resorts and dinner/show theatres internationally.
Don is the creator/former co-owner of the Colin Cloud, a brand which clocked up millions of views online (organically). His most recent studio projects include the Ibiza-styled music production company: DJXJD, and new country duo JIMNI, typically racking up a modest two to three thousand streams weekly.
For art’s sake.
You’d think with his musical talents and his ability to apply creative thinking to business needs; Don would be all created-out. Surely he must hang up his drum sticks and his strategic thinking cap and just watch Neil Oliver documentaries or something.
You’d think wrong. Don Jack is an artist as well.
At age 11, Don won the Brooke Bond Art Prize. He has since exhibited paintings and sculptures around the world. He likes to organise art as well and curates the popular culture exhibition titles for his Museum of Movie Magic, Scotland. He’s very good at that – wherever the exhibitions appear internationally, museum visitor numbers shoot through the roof.
Narrelle Harris
Don Jack Designer Composer Artist
Founder of IDEAS® and Touring Exhibitions
Business Links:
DESIGN IDEAS®
EXHIBITION The Museum of Movie Magic
GOLF Your Tartan Tribe
ENVIRONMENT Data Innovation
LEGAMI Motivation by Design
Blogs and Social Links:
MUSIC Robbie Williams/528 Ibiza case study
FACEBOOK Don Jack Productions
WETWETWET WetWetWet/Cadbury case study
REDDING HOUSE Walled Garden and Grounds
MAGIC The Business of Magic
LOCH NESS The Monster Musical
Bad company.
Don Jack Designer Composer Artist, was honoured to be among a group of Scottish artists invited to take part in the Picture This touring art exhibition. Works by John Byrne, Peter Howson, Joyce Cairns, James McDonald, Lesley Banks, June Redfern and Don Jack, were exhibited in leading galleries internationally.
Countless commissions range from private individuals to corporates such as Philips, Virgin, Turnberry and British Airways.
Private Commissions
Don Jack recently completed one of his most important commissions yet, Queen of Scots – Ladies-in-Waiting is a series of Scottish themed costume AI assisted works destined for high-end Giclée reproduction by one of the UK’s leading fine-art houses – currently sold out.
AI GalleryGallery
On his (not strictly) A5art website – Don Jack sources a diverse range of affordable, original and interesting pieces by a range of emerging and established artists.
With connections to the Scottish art scene, as confidant and art broker, Don acts provides an established conduit for well-known and emerging talent.
Curator
Don Jack Executive Curator at touringexhibtion.co.uk. A diverse collection of art including works by artists also held in the Musée d’Orsay, including friend to Matisse and Picasso: André Derain, and Émile Bernard who was sponsored by Eugène Boch (see Van Goch) (see also Villeroy & Boch).
touring exhibition web site
Ideas ahead of what was common at the time, responding to opportunities, recognising patterns,
but mostly just doing stuff.
“Vegetarian food is just a fad.” This was the advice Don Jack received fifty years ago when he proposed his innovative food brand concept at art college. Unfazed, Don continued to pursue his visionary ideas, proving time and again that he was ahead of his time.
Here’s to all the dreamers.
Before they became a trend, Don Jack created one of the first co-working hub of its kind in the UK – The network of creative businesses in a large, converted brick fashion warehouse in the heart of Falkirk was to become an inspirational environment for musicians, artists, photographers, and designers, soon to became a model for the creative industry and shared business spaces worldwide.
Early in his career, Don Jack honed his craft in design and publishing creating a library of the most popular fiction and classic novels. Along with with his Mentor and business partner Charlie Wood: COLIPHON was among the first-to-market audiobooks company and forerunner to AUDIBLE.
List of published titles below.
Infatuation by Denise Robins narrated by Sheila Latimer
Splintered sword by Henry Treece narrated by John Shedden
The Sea Wolf by Jack London narrated by Arthur Boland
The Body Snatcher, and other stories by Robert Louis Stevenson. Narrated by John Shedden
The Dog Crusoe by R M Ballantyne narrated by Arthur Boland
Tom Brown’s Schooldays by Thomas Hughes narrated by Brown Derby
Wee Macgregor by J J Bell narrated by James Copeland
A Piece of Steak and, The Mexican by Jack London narrated by James Bryce
Grim Tales from the Scots by Robert Louis Stevenson, narrated by James Hogg, Walter Scott and John Shedden
Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
Fourth Folly by Kathleen Treves
Dr Brent’s Broken Journey by Jane Lester narrated by Sheila Donald
Lost Horizon by James Hilton
Staddlecombe by Kay Winchester narrated by Hilary Thomson
The Memoirs by Barry Lyndon ESQ by William Makepeace Thackeray narrated by Arthur Boland
Master’s Wife by Fay Ramsay narrated by Diana Olsson
Five Children and It by E Nesbit narrated by Sheila Donald
The Four Feathers by A. E. W. Mason narrated by Martin Heller
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K Le Guin narrated by Morag Hood
Three Men in a Boat: to say nothing of the dog! by Jerome K Jerome narrated by Martin Heller
Borrowed Plumes by Roseleen Milne narrated by Arthur Boland and Brown Derby
Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman. Volume 2 by E. W. Hornung narrated by Michael Elder
Sweet Rosemary by Fay Chandos narrated by June Andrews
Nowhere on Earth by Michael Elder
Hell is Always Today by Jack Higgins narrated by Michael MacKenzie
In the House of Dark Music by Francis Lynch narrated by Arthur Boland
Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald narrated by Tom Fleming
Madselin by Norah Lofts narrated by Rosalind Lloyd
The Alien Earth by Michael Elder
Sister March’s Secret by Jane Lester narrated by Gwyneth Guthrie
Goodbye Mr Chips by James Hilton narrated by John Shedden, (Actor)
The White Witch by Elizabeth Goudge narrated by Gwyneth Guthrie
Storm Warning by Jack Higgins narrated by Marius Goring
Annals of the Parish by John Galt narrated by John Shedden, (Actor)
Green Rushes by Maurice Walsh narrated by Peter Adair
Raffles, The Amateur Cracksman. Volume 1 by E. W. Hornung narrated by Michael Elder
The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy narrated by Corin Redgrave
War Dog by Henry Treece narrated by David Stewart
Grim Tales from the Scots: Classics of the Uncanny by John Shedden narrated by Robert Louis Stevenson, Walter Scott, James Hogg
Arrow to the Heart by Jill Murray narrated by Nancy Mitchell
The Forgiving Heart by Olive Baxter narrated by Sheila Donald
Prisoner of a Promise by Quenna Tilbury narrated by Isobel Spouse
Founding partner at IDEAS®
where creative magic meets brand science.
BRAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND CREATIVE CONTENT FOR POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION IN THE TOURISM, LEISURE, ENTERTAINMENT AND THE ARTS.
Described as a brand magician, Don Jack Designer Composer Artist and Founder of IDEAS® has designed gig art for Prince, worldwide campaigns for Adobe, book design for Virgin, community campaigns for Police Scotland, countless works for emerging business talent via the Scottish Enterprise high-growth initiative, green networks, charities and Arts Festivals.
He listens well, and he’s thorough. He’ll formalise the creative brief, garner enthusiasm, empower and inspire success. If you have ideas, he’ll turn them into reality. If not, he’ll help bring them into focus.
Triple threat.
Johnny Logan’s success in winning the Eurovision Song Contest a record-breaking three times, gave the Universal Music Group (to whom Jonny and Don were both signed) unequivocal credence in spotting a commercial success. Although Don’s songs didn’t make it to the ESC final selection, Universal considered them worthy, providing a massive confidence boost. Later acquired by Warner Brothers Music, these songs became pivotal to Don’s next musical project: Loch Ness – The Monster Musical – the book, music and lyrics.
The Designer Composer’s Musical became a Finalist in the Cameron Mackintosh Group’s search for a new musical.
The soloist featured on the track: ‘Reveal’ is Christof Unterberger* from the Viennese Chamber Philharmonic.
*Viennese Schubert Ensemble, the Viennese Chamber Opera and the Ensemble Reconsil Vienna, Vienna Film Music Award, Vienna Film Music Award, Moondance Film Festival Columbine Award, Hollywood.
