Turbine Art Fair

I worked on Turbine Art Fair from 2013 to 2015, across three editions of the fair. I joined initially to help bring galleries on board, and over time my role expanded. By the time I left, I was acting as full project manager, overseeing the fair in its entirety.

At that point in my career, I was looking for something substantial to sink my teeth into. Abby & Ross had closed, I was beginning to feel restless within the café, and while Polish remained steady, Turbine felt new, demanding and intellectually engaging. It offered a scale and complexity I hadn’t yet encountered.

The shift in scale was immediate. Turbine Art Fair brought together a large and varied group of people, from galleries and exhibitors to sponsors, partners and media. Project management became central to everything. There were multiple moving parts to hold at once, including exhibitor relationships, installations, marketing, sponsors and operational detail. Because the fair culminated in a single weekend, the pressure to make it work was intense. Many people came on board based on my recommendations and relationships, which added a strong sense of personal responsibility to every decision.

Much of my role became about managing people and bringing disparate elements into coherence. It was demanding, but also extraordinary. The experience immersed me in a creative universe I hadn’t previously been part of, and exposed me to new ways of thinking, making and collaborating.

More than anything, Turbine Art Fair established me within the contemporary art and creative sector in a way none of my previous work had. It introduced me to a new ecosystem of artists, galleries, curators and cultural producers, and shifted my frame of reference entirely. This exposure changed the direction of my work, moving me decisively into the creative and cultural space and laying the groundwork for much of what followed.

The hardest part was overload. I took on too much, struggled to step back, and ultimately burnt myself out. In hindsight, the lack of boundaries was costly.

Turbine Art Fair taught me that the detail really does matter. The things I cared deeply about, pacing, experience, communication and clarity, were not peripheral, but central to how the whole functioned. It also taught me that I needed stronger boundaries, and to trust my instincts and abilities more fully.

Looking back now, Turbine sits as a defining chapter. It sharpened my understanding of leadership at scale and reinforced how essential structure and communication are. Most importantly, it showed me how to get the best out of people through kindness, respect and clarity, principles that continue to guide how I approach complex projects today.