Artwork created by 14 contemporary illustrators and submitted to the Centre for the Children's Book [now Seven Stories, the Centre for Children's Books] in response to a commission brief issued in 2004. The commission brief, entitled 'Journeys', related to the design of the exterior of the Centre for the Children's Book (CCB) building and for fixtures, fittings and furniture inside. The commission invited illustrators to respond to the theme 'journeys', either real or fanciful, with a single piece of artwork which could be either line or full colour. The majority of the submitted artworks were original pieces created in response to the brief, although many feature familiar characters from books illustrated by the respective artists. A few of the submitted artworks were already existing pieces, used as illustrations or covers for earlier books and submitted by the artist because they seemed appropriate to the theme of journeys. In some cases, illustrators submitted more than one piece of artwork. The series includes both digital and paper artworks, and some of the files contain a small amount of related correspondence.
A number of the commissioned pieces were then selected and integrated into a design, along with text phrases that evoked images of journeys, by Anne Curtis and Emma Jameson of GWK architects. This design was imprinted onto the first floor canopy of the facade of the Seven Stories visitor centre at 30-34 Lime Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. Artwork from the 'Journeys' commission was also used for design work and signage within the visitor centre.