Marilyn J Fontaine, an East London-based mixed-media artist who creates magical, intense and witty narratives with mystical overtones was Alice Billing House’s Artist-in-Residence to mark Black History Month 2024

This November, the Newham community was invited for a fun and creative day at Alice Billings House! At these hands-on workshop, people learned how to craft beautiful willow wreaths and stars from scratch, ready to add a touch of charm to their homes this festive season

In October, we were excited to welcome the founder of ‘Open Heart Clinic’, Yaa Addae, who is a writer, researcher, and participatory curator to facilitate a 2 part creative lab in response to themes surrounding the ongoing speculative archive project.

Monika is a Newham resident, Alice Billing House studio resident and professional photographer who specialises in modern portraiture where working with muses allows them to feel comfortable and empowered resulting in artistic imagery that makes a statement.

On Saturday 21 September 2024, Alice Billing House had its first Open Studios. We welcomed over 70 visitors who enjoyed perusing the studios or our resident artists as well as joining our community stitch project The Supper Cloth.

Over 3 weeks in September, we ran our community stitch art project, The Supper Cloth. A collaborative piece of embroidery art created by the residents of Newham.

On 23 August 2024, Ayebainemi Abieyuwa ése’s (they/them) held a somatic workshop that explored how our identities can displace us from our local surroundings and communities and how we can create tools of resistance that help us transmute that loss and grief.

Find out about the artist behind the new window panels in the North Block as well as the history and future plans of Alice Billing House.

We invite artists and creative practitioners to apply to be part of our artist-in-residency programme this October, to mark Black History Month 2024, where the artist will facilitate artistic responses to a speculative archive project.

Andy Mac Manus, a local Newham artist and designer has been part of Grow Studios’ artist-in-residency programme at Alice Billing House in Stratford in which he designed, created, and installed original artwork for the windows of the building.

We’re inviting people to sit down, slow down, and feed their creativity through stitching and co-creating a communal piece of embroidered art!

On a Sunday afternoon in June, interdisciplinary artist, performer and writer, Chloe Filani, hosted a somatic movement and writing-focused workshop at Alice Billing House to explore themes surrounding queer identity as it intersects with the historical roots of the local area.

On 16 June studio holder Laura Holland led a workshop where participants brought a favourite but unloved shirt and transformed it into a useful and trendy cross-back artist apron.

Zine Making Workshop on the 12 June. Back in the day, before the internet, with a pair of scissors, glue sticks and the humble photocopier, enthusiasts around the globe communicated via a world of DIY fanzines, posters and flyers!

Local residents joined us for afternoon workshop ‘Places, Spaces and Faces’ This fun, free, digital self-portrait activity explored Alice Billing House, as part of Newham Heritage Month.

Grow Studios together with the Creative Land Trust were pleased to mark the official launch of Alice Billing House on Tuesday 4 June 2024

On May 11 we had our first free workshop for Newham residents where studio holder Faye Gosling facilitated a One-Day Basket Making Workshop in our Project Space .-

An afternoon of planting wildflowers with studio holders

The Project Space at Alice Billing House in Stratford is a self-contained room within the studios which is available to studio holders, local community groups, and individuals of Newham for meetings, community engagement, learning and outreach activities.

Grow Studios moved into Alice Billing House in January 2024 and since then, the main focus has been to fill the studio spaces with artists, with a focus on those who are also residents of Newham.