Francesca Telling is an artist and facilitator from London. Working in photography, print, language and time-based media, she is interested in how our knowledges of time and place are produced, between the spaces that care for people and the spaces that care for stories. Her practice centres on the lived and educational experiences of children and young people, developing through collaborations that use listening, documenting, mapping and interviewing as tools for reimagining the forms of hierarchy and separation found within systems young people navigate.

Francesca’s recent projects have emerged as gatherings, interventions and curriculums including facilitating the pilot Young Archivists programme at Croydon Archives, co-research with the collective A Particular Reality, and artworks now living in schools, youth clubs, libraries, archives and bookshelves. Her first solo exhibition ‘Emergency’ was at Metroland Cultures in 2025.

Francesca is a studio resident at Metroland Cultures in Kilburn, Brent and a member of the grassroots abolitionist coalition movement No More Exclusions.

Education

  • Goldsmiths University, 2018 - 2021, BA Fine Art
  • Kingston School of Art, 2017 - 2018, Foundation diploma in Art, Design & Media Practice

Residencies & Alternative Education


Solo Exhibitions

  • Emergency, Metroland Cultures, 2025

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • Under Archives, SET 91, 2025
  • Cure-All, Noiascape, 2025
  • RUSHES 01.1: THE YEAR OF THE BEAVER, Metroland Cultures, 2025
  • SOS_23 WIP Exhibition, South London Gallery, 2023
  • Means, Bermondsey Project Space, 2023
  • 3D Women Platform, Art Hub, 2023
  • Doing Better With Worse, Ugly Duck Gallery, 2023
  • Conditions Show, Whitgift Centre, 2022
  • -topia, Bermondsey Project Space, 2022
  • I Know a Guy..., Art Hub, 2022
  • Deep Meaningful Conversation, Ugly Duck Gallery, 2022

Publications & Writing

  • Pro-cess-ing, pamphlet for RUSHES 01.1: THE YEAR OF THE BEAVER, Metroland Cultures, 2025
  • Shifting the Margins, A Particular Reality anthology publication, 2025
  • Reimagining Crits, co-written with Lena Hannigan & A Particular Reality, 2025
  • Resistance in Racial Time, co-authored with Ali Eisa, Abhaya Rajani & A Particular Reality, NSEAD iJade Conference, 2023
  • Image Permission, ed. Christopher Bond, Exhibition text for Means at Bermondsey Project Space, 2023
  • “A Particular Reality (APR): Developing a Nuanced Pedagogical Methodology within Practice-Based Higher Education Courses”, co-authored with Michelle Williams Gamaker and A Particular Reality, in De-/Anti-/Post-colonial Feminisms in Contemporary Art and Textile Crafts, edited by Katy Deepwell, 2023
  • “Black Hole Evangelism” in Deep Meaningful Conversation, ed. Hugo Hagger and Babette Whiting (Today is a Beautiful Day), 2022

Projects & Research

  • Doreen Massey Archive Project, Metroland Cultures & the Open University, 2025-ongoing
  • Artist Crits, Bethlem Gallery, 2025
  • Becontree Centenary Project, Becontree Primary School, 2025
  • Imperial Health Charity, UNITY & Unfold, 2025
  • Stories About Change, James Wolfe Primary School, 2025
  • Young Archivists, Croydon Archives, 2024-25
  • Fire Divinations: Collective Enquiry, Brent Biennial: Bones, Stones & the Calling of the Four Elements, 2024-25
  • Social Justice and Creative Arts Learning in Schools, The Crescent Primary School, 2024
  • Woven Together, St Saviours CE and St Paul with St Luke Primary Schools, 2023
  • We regret to inform you!, 3D Women Platform, 2023
  • Another Art School is Possible, A Particular Reality, Goldsmiths CCA, 2023
  • Reimagining Crits, A Particular Reality, 2023
  • Rights in Focus Conference, Autograph, South London Gallery & UAL, 2023
  • My World, Your World: Early Years Creativity Project, Barking & Dagenham Nursery Consortium, 2023
  • Art School, Backwards, A Particular Reality & Kingston School of Art, 2023
  • Souvenir/Collection/Archive, Goldsmiths CCA, 2022
  • Shifting the Margins, Goldsmiths Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre, 2022
  • What does an anti-racist classroom look like?, Thomas Tallis School, 2022

Talks, Events & Screenings

  • Films in Dialogue, Richard Hoggart Cinema, Goldsmiths University & Exhibitions Hub, 2025
  • Impact Seminar: Engaging Young Audiences, The National Archives, 2025
  • Library Lates, RESOLVE Collective: Tending to the Centres, Ham Library, Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival, 2025
  • Things Within Reach: Practicing Anti-Racist Futures, with A Particular Reality, Goldsmiths CCA, 2025
  • Collection Talks, Bethlem Gallery, 2025
  • In Conversation with Michelle Williams Gamaker, Other Cinemas, 2025
  • Time, NSEAD iJade Conference, 2023
  • Workshop & Village Green talk, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2023
  • Harsh Light, Bloc Projects, 2022
  • Mark Leckey invites Conditions, NTS Radio, 2021

Awards

  • Elephant Trust, 2025
  • a-n Freelands Foundation Artists’ Bursaries 2024–25
  • Winter 2023 Grantee, Grand Plan Fund, 2023

Teaching & Pedagogy

  • Lecturer in Fine Art, Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media Practice, Kingston University, 2023 - present
  • Art Summer School, Goldsmiths University, 2023 - present
  • Guest Lecturer, Architectural Association, 2024
  • Assosciate Lecturer, Curating Education & Research, BA Curating, Goldsmiths University, 2023
  • Education Coordinator, A Particular Reality, Goldsmiths University, 2021-2023
  • Visiting Artist, Short Courses, Kingston School of Art, 2022