turps banana

What turps banana does

Turps Banana Ltd is a UK-based, founder-led not-for-profit organisation focused on painter-to-painter education and publishing, operating under multiple sub-brands: Turps Magazine (a painter-written publication established 2003), Turps Art School (mentored studio, off-site, regional, intensive, and residency programmes), Turps Correspondence Course (online written-review mentorship, 13 cohorts since 2012), Turps Gallery (painting-only exhibition space opened 2015), Turps Spotlight (artist monographs launched 2019), and the sibling MASS Sculpture Programme and MASS Magazine.

The core operating model is subscription-driven: painters pay an annual fee (e.g., £1,750 for the Correspondence Course 2026/27, £3,000 for MASS) plus a £15 application fee, and receive dedicated mentor reviews, online artist talks, and peer critique sessions, with product extensions at lower price points (1-2-1 Surgeries £220, Live Surgeries £150, Crits Manchester £175, Kiln Firings from £17.50). Programmes are delivered across London (Taplow House HQ and Studios, SE17), Margate/East Kent, East Sussex, Manchester, and Brighton via venue partners including Turner Contemporary, BN9 Studios, Hastings Contemporary, Phoenix Art Space, and Oceans Apart Manchester. More than 600 artists have been mentored since 2012 and 28 exhibitions have been staged at the gallery.

Revenue is generated through programme fees, publications, merchandise, surgeries, and kiln rentals; the organisation is privately held by founders Marcus Harvey and Helen Hayward with no external funding rounds, has a lean team of 5 employees, and operates on a not-for-profit basis with fees reinvested into programmes. The company is community-led, marketing through its website, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, email newsletters, open days, exhibitions, and Turps Talks.

Name

turps banana

Legal name

Turps Banana Ltd

Website

https://turpsbanana.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Turps Banana Ltd is a UK not-for-profit delivering painter-to-painter mentorship through the Turps Correspondence Course, Studio and regional programmes, Turps Gallery, Turps Magazine, and the MASS Sculpture Programme, serving practising painters in the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Education and Painting Mentorship

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Personal Enrichment & Creative Arts Programs (EDAAAEAG)

Keywords

• Painting mentorship programmes
• Artist-led art education
• Correspondence art courses
• Painting gallery exhibitions
• Visual arts publication

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Correspondence Course fees: Annual subscription-based fees for painters participating in the online mentoring programme with written reviews from dedicated mentors
2. Studio Programme fees: Fees for London-based mentored studio programmes including Off-Site Programme and Studio Programme
3. MASS Sculpture Programme fees: Annual fees for sculpture mentorship programme
4. Publications and merchandise sales: Sales of Turps Magazine, MASS Magazine, Turps Spotlight monographs, and merchandise through their online shop
5. Gallery exhibitions: Free public gallery exhibitions showcasing painters' work, generating visibility and community engagement
6. Intensives and workshops: Fees for short intensive programmes including 8-week intensives, Summer School, and one-to-one surgeries
7. Regional programmes: Fees for Margate and East Sussex regional mentoring programmes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Turps Banana delivers artist-led painting mentoring and education through annual subscription programmes (Correspondence Course online, Studio Programme in London, Off-Site Programme, and regional cohorts in East Sussex and Margate), short-format intensives and Summer Schools, and pay-as-you-go 1-2-1 Surgeries and Crits. It complements these programmes with a physical Gallery hosting painting exhibitions, a long-running Turps Magazine written by painters, Turps Spotlight artist monographs, and a parallel MASS sculpture programme. The offering is targeted at practising and aspiring painters seeking critical written feedback, peer community, and exhibition opportunities outside conventional academic tuition.

Product overview

Turps Banana operates as a multi-platform art education organisation focused on painting, comprising Turps Magazine (a painter-written publication established 2003), Turps Art School (mentoring programmes including Studio Programme, Off-Site Programme, and regional programmes in East Sussex and Margate), Turps Gallery (exhibition space opened 2015), and Turps Spotlight (artist monographs launched 2019). The education offerings include Correspondence Course (online mentoring with written reviews), Intensives (8-week intensive programmes), Residency Programme, Summer School, and one-to-one surgeries. All programmes follow a painter-to-painter ethos where contributors and mentors are practising artists rather than critics or professional educators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Turps Magazine: A publication about painting written by painters, established 2003. Does not carry a singular position about painting to allow dialogues to develop.
• Turps Art School
• Turps Gallery
• Turps Spotlight
• MASS

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 artists mentored since 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Turner ContemporaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurner Contemporary in Margate hosts introductory talks for the Turps Margate programme, providing venue and promotion for the one-year mentoring programme for painters in East Kent area
• BN9 StudiosminorOthersBN9 Studios in Newhaven hosts the Turps East Sussex Programme annual exhibition, providing exhibition space for painters in the region
• Hastings ContemporaryminorOthersHastings Contemporary hosts the Works on Paper exhibition by Turps East Sussex Programme painters
• Thames-Side Studios GalleryminorOthersThames-Side Studios Gallery in Woolwich hosts Turps Off-Site Programme shows and MASS Sculpture Programme exhibitions
• Phoenix Art SpaceminorOthersPhoenix Art Space in Brighton hosts Turps Crits Brighton sessions for regional painter critique services
• Creative Land TrustminorOthersCreative Land Trust provides venue space at 8-12 Harold Road Margate for Turps Margate exhibitions
• Oceans Apart ManchesterminorOthersOceans Apart Manchester hosts Turps Live Surgeries for painters to participate in small critical and intensive mentor-led group crits
• Rye Creative CentreminorOthersRye Creative Centre hosts Turps Hastings Programme annual exhibition
• Paul Stolper GalleryminorOthersPaul Stolper Gallery hosted the 20 Years of Turps Publishing Celebration event in 2025
• Florence TrustminorOthersFlorence Trust Cloudesley Square hosted Hannah Murgatroyd exhibition and Turps Talk conversation

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Painting Center: New York-based non-profit dedicated to painting exhibitions, artist talks and painting-focused programming. Comparable to Turps Gallery in its painter-led exhibition ethos and non-commercial orientation, though without an associated mentorship programme.
• Royal Drawing School: UK-based independent fine art school offering drawing and painting tuition through short courses, postgraduate programmes, and a public drawing office. Closely comparable to Turps in mission (independent, artist-led tuition) and London footprint, though it focuses more on drawing than painting-specific mentorship.
• New York Studio School: Independent New York-based art school offering MFA, certificate, and evening/summer programmes in painting, drawing and sculpture. Closely comparable to Turps in its atelier-style, artist-led pedagogy and dedication to contemporary painting practice.
• Art Students League of New York: Historic independent atelier in New York providing studio-based instruction in painting, drawing, sculpture and printmaking, taught by practising artists. Comparable to Turps in its artist-instructor model, low-overhead independent structure, and emphasis on working painters rather than academic credentials.
• Heatherley School of Fine Art: London's oldest independent art school, offering part-time and full-time painting, sculpture and drawing programmes. Comparable to Turps as a small, independent, atelier-style fine arts institution with similar target audience of serious adult painters.

Broad incumbents

• Royal College of Art: The UK's only entirely postgraduate university of art and design, with prominent painting and sculpture programmes. Comparable to Turps in its London base and reputation in the contemporary painting world, but at vastly greater scale and as a degree-granting institution.
• Central Saint Martins: Part of University of the Arts London and one of the world's leading art schools, offering undergraduate and postgraduate fine art programmes. Comparable to Turps as a London-based art education institution, though operating at university scale across many disciplines.
• Skillshare: Large-scale online learning platform offering thousands of courses across creative disciplines including painting and illustration. Comparable to Turps only at the broadest level (online creative education for individuals); differs in scale, breadth and asynchronous self-serve model versus Turps' curated, mentor-led approach.
• The Slade School of Fine Art: UCL's historic fine art school in London offering undergraduate and postgraduate painting programmes. Comparable to Turps as a London-based painting education provider, but operating at much larger scale as a degree-granting university department rather than a non-degree mentorship community.

Emerging players

• Mastrius: Online platform connecting artists with mentors for ongoing critique, workshops and community. Comparable to Turps' Correspondence Course in offering online, mentor-led artist development, but serves multiple media and operates as a marketplace rather than a curated house of mentors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@turps_banana
• Facebookfacebook.com/turpsbanana
• Instagraminstagram.com/turpsbanana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/turps-banana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about turps banana