FUTURE OF ALICE BILLING HOUSE

About Alice Billing House

Alice Billing House is one of Newham’s most historic buildings located on Stratford’s High Street. The building is made up of two blocks, the South Block and the North Block. The North Block is a Grade II listed building, both were built in 1905-6 as firefighter’s accommodation for the West Ham Fire Brigade. Opening in January 2024, the South Block has now been converted into artist studios and is home to over 25 artists. By Autumn 2026, the North Block will be renovated adding additional studios and a community cafe.

Click Here for information about the future of Alice Billing House

Artist-in-Residency

Andy Mac Manus, a local Newham artist and designer has been part of Grow Studios’ artist-in-residency programme at Alice Billing House. He designed, created, and installed original artwork for the boarded-up windows of the North Block.

Taking inspiration from the shapes, colours and history of the building, the artist painted 12 bespoke designed panels. These panels were installed over 4 days in August 2024, bringing art, interest and intrigue to this soon-to-renovated block.

Painted Panels by Andy Mac Manus

ABOUT THE CONCEPT

“Alice Billing House has a fascinating history. Originally built as a fire station in 1906, it is now set to undergo a major renovation into artist studios in 2026. This inspired me to centre my concept around the idea of a spark. As Bruce Springsteen famously said while struggling to write a hit for his 1984 album, "You can't start a fire without a spark." Artists, too, need time and space to ignite their creativity, and this building will provide countless artists in the coming years with the chance to find their own spark—a truly invaluable gift.

After touring a local fire station as part of my research for this project, I was inspired by the graphics and colour palette I encountered, which became the foundation for incorporating my own aesthetic. Each panel represents a different tangent—a possible idea or direction—that reflects the future creative energy that will emerge from the building as it transforms into an artist studio, creative hub, and community space. It’s like an explosion of ideas ignited by that original spark. While each panel has its own distinct identity, the entire piece feels cohesive, blending the building's historical roots with its future potential.”

About Andy

Andy Mac Manus is an Irish artist working and living in Newham for almost 15 years. Although he initially studied fine art in Galway, he went on to study interior design, multimedia and finally graduated with a master’s degree in graphic design from the London College of Communication in 2011.

Over the years Andy has exhibited extensively across Ireland, in the UK and as far afield as Shanghai. After taking quite a long hiatus from making work while concentrating on design, the pandemic gave him a fortuitous opportunity to slow down and take stock, and he rediscovered his passion for making art. When a brief landed on his desk that required some packaging design, this gave him the opportunity to flesh out the sketches he had already been developing, and this collaboration led to the creation of several small canvases. This project was the genesis of the work he creates today.

While his work over the years has incorporated everything from paint, photography, screen printing, spray paint, film, and sculptural installations, he now works predominately with acrylic paint on canvas. Andy comes to art from a graphic design background, and the intersection of these two very different worlds continues to influence his work today. His vibrant, diverse, and daily creative practice takes in painting and graphic design.

Location: The Courtyard Behind, Old Town Hall, Stratford, 29 The Broadway,