Solupak & MJH ArtStudio: Creating the bigger picture, together

Solupak is a Yorkshire-based manufacturer leading the way in water-soluble cleaning products. With a passionate team and a strong focus on sustainability, they were looking to energise their internal culture – not with another corporate away day, but with something meaningful that would also enhance their workspace.

The idea:

A collaborative art workshop where the team could create a large-scale piece for their Peter Minister Training Room. Something that would reflect their people, their values, and their location near the River Calder.

The challenge:

Let’s be honest – team building activities can be hit and miss. Helen and the leadership team wanted to do something different, but finding something that would appeal to everyone (without the usual eye-rolls) wasn’t easy.

They’d tried the typical team bonding stuff – and it didn’t always land. With a mix of personalities and job roles, not everyone gets excited about awkward icebreakers or same-old group games.

When Helen met Mike and Nicci from MJH ArtStudio, the idea of using a wellbeing-focused art workshop as a team-building activity felt fresh, inclusive, and worth a try. Still, when the team heard “you’ll be painting canvases” – let’s just say a few were... sceptical.

Our approach:

We designed a bespoke creative workshop tailored to Solupak’s goals, split into three relaxed sessions of six people. Each one included warm-ups, guided painting, and a shared artistic goal: a River Calder-inspired piece made up of 18 individual canvases.

Session 1. Each session kicked off with a pencil sketch of a biscuit – but you had to draw it before eating it (rules are rules). Then we moved into charcoal to explore texture and get everyone into a creative flow.

Session 2. We introduced painting methods – colour blending, brush techniques, and how to follow the pre-marked River Calder outline that spanned across all 18 canvases.

Session 3. Each person worked on a 30x30cm canvas – but this wasn’t solo work. Colours and brushstrokes had to align across the full design, which sparked communication, support, and plenty of teamwork.

The result? A complete and powerful piece of bespoke abstract art – created entirely by the team.

 

The result:

What began with a few hesitant faces ended in real pride. The completed artwork will hang proudly in the Peter Minister Training Room – a visual reminder of what teamwork, creativity and a bit of trust can achieve.

Staff left feeling energised, inspired and connected – not just to the finished piece, but to each other.

And the best part? Every time someone walks past that wall, they can say: “I did that.”

 

Behind the scenes:

To minimise disruption to production, the sessions were spread throughout the day.

• Sketching and painting took place in the boardroom
• The mezzanine space became a drying zone
• No one saw the full design until the end – making the final reveal even more powerful

 

“The minute the team sat down and got involved in the activity it was evident that they were all very engaged and very involved.

Everything that I’ve wanted out of the project has been listened to, it’s just been a fantastic team building event that has been so different and we’ve ended up with such a buzz coming from the team afterwards.”

Helen MacDonald, Managing Director, Solupak

 

“This is what it’s all about. Giving teams a way to connect creatively and walk away with something they’re genuinely proud of. You could feel the energy change as the day went on.”

Mike Hall, Managing Director, MJH ArtStudio

 

About Solupak

Solupak manufactures eco-friendly, water-soluble sachets that reduce plastic waste and carbon impact across the global cleaning and hygiene sector. Their work is driven by innovation, people and planet – and their culture reflects that commitment.

 

Inspired by this project?

If your team could use a boost, or your walls could do with something a little more meaningful, we’d love to chat.

Time for your team to be part of the bigger picture.