12 Years of Turf: In-conversation with Phoebe Russell

As part of our 2025/26 LEGACY programme year, we're inviting Turf alumni artists back to reflect on and discuss their careers since their involvement with Turf. Our second alumni artist will be Phoebe Russell, alum of our own collective of young creatives: Art Press, who has gone on to study on the Fine Art BA at Slade School of Art and was recently awarded the Clare Winsten Memorial Award.

Join Phoebe and some of the Turf team for an informal discussion about their initial involvement with Turf, how it's impacted their career and working processes and what they've been up to since.

(Photo credit: Nkosazahna Scott)

ABOUT PHOEBE RUSSELL

Phoebe Russell is a British-French artist from Croydon working in sculpture and installation. Their recent work examines electrical displays of state power in suburban spaces, exploring the fragility of structures that are presented as immovable.

With an initial background working in film and television, their practice is an exercise in world building within the gallery space, addressing architectures of power, complicity and dispossession in Britain using settings and imagery from their hometown and upbringing.

ABOUT TURF:

Founded in 2013 by Croydon locals, Turf is Croydon’s homegrown artist space and the first entirely artist-run contemporary art space in the borough. Based in Croydon’s Whitgift Shopping Centre, we put on free exhibitions 7 workshops, provide affordable artist studios, run a free creative project space for locals & host a number of other local creative organisations and collectives. A registered charity, Turf aims to provide paid opportunities for artists and creatives who might otherwise be undersupported.

A request from the Turf team - if you book, please turn up!

Around 30% of people booking free tickets don't attend. As a charity, we aim to support people who need creative opportunities the most and our free tickets are limited and in high demand. Every person who doesn’t turn up means someone else can’t attend, so please let us know if you can’t make it to free up a space. If you don’t attend twice or more without letting us know, you may be restricted from booking again.

KEY ACCESS INFO​

• To help us support you best, please let us know if you have any access needs when booking.
• For access info about getting to Turf and the Turf space, click here.
• Our unit in the Whitgift Centre is 7 minutes walk (0.3 miles) from West Croydon Station and 8 minutes walk (0.4 miles) from East Croydon station.

WORKSHOP CODE:

Turf aims to be a space where all are welcomed & respected. We ask all attendees to align with this spirit when booking and support us in creating a welcoming & collaborative atmosphere together. We ask that everyone is;

• Kind and respectful in our language and behaviour towards others. Turf is a space which is anti racism, sexism, homophobia and ableism.
• Considerate of others’ time; allowing others room to speak & engage.
• Respectful of the space itself as belonging to many people, treating the space & objects with care.