Waterloo Place, circa 1946
Phoenix artists (1990’s), photo: Mark Gregory
Waterloo Place, 2016, photo: Julian Vilarrubi
10 July – 2 August 2026
Window Gallery, Phoenix Art Space, Brighton
‘Stories from Phoenix’ is an archive project and creative collaboration that looks at the early history of Phoenix Art Space (1992 – 2017) through various perspectives. Drawing upon interviews, images, archival materials, and written narratives, the project examines the genesis and evolution of a unique organisation that was originally set up and run by artists in response to the pressing need for studio and exhibition space in Brighton. Charting its evolution from an artist collective renting a dilapidated building to becoming the largest studio/arts venue in the region, the stories from Phoenix shine a light on the creativity, collaborative effort and hard graft that goes into building an organisation from the ground up.
For this exhibition we are dipping into the archive and presenting a small slice of the material it holds. Using posters, flyers, photo collage and text, we are approaching it as a personal, creative and experimental project, rather than as an official history.
‘Stories from Phoenix’ is an ongoing project being developed by myself in collaboration with my friends and colleagues Belinda Greenhalgh and Ottilie Hainsworth, with contributions from a range of people who have been involved with the organisation over the years.