CALL FOR NEWHAM ARTISTS - PAID RESIDENCY FOR NEWHAM HERITAGE MONTH 2025
Alice Billing House, situated behind Stratford Town Hall, is a historic former fireman’s accommodation building. It has been recently renovated and opened as artist studios in 2024, offering the borough a new creative hub.
We invite artists and creative practitioners to apply to be part of our artist-in-residency programme this Spring/Summer. This will be part of our Newham Heritage Month project, which focuses on the history of Alice Billing House. The artist will facilitate artistic responses to this theme, with a focus on the last 60 years.
The artist will benefit from the use of a project space to work in for a 2-week period, as well as being supported by a range of other artists working on the overarching project, Inspector of Nuisances.
Inspector of Nuisances
The residency is part of a project we are doing for Newham Heritage Month called ‘Inspector of Nuisances’, (the official job title for Sanitation inspectors in the 19th Century) inspired by Alice Billing, the first female sanitation inspector in Newham (1897-1930), whom the Alice Billing House building is named after.
We are looking to commission a Newham-based artist or arts collective (who has not been funded by Newham Heritage Month before) to take on a 2-week artist residency and associated creative sessions at Alice Billing House to respond to the themes with a particular focus on the building post-1965.
So far, we know that in 1964, the firemen’s accommodation was no longer needed and the station closed, which also coincided with the formation of the Greater London Council (GLC), which were instrumental in the restructuring of the borough 60 years ago. Since that time, the building was a Housing Dept hostel for the homeless for a short time, housed Environmental council departments and had many other uses, (including a film set for a period reality TV programme).
We will ask the artist to respond to elements of this time period and include outreach and/or a public-facing creative session at Alice Billing House itself.
WHAT DOES THE RESIDENCY INVOLVE?
*Artistic responses to the Inspector of Nuisances brief
*10-day residency spread across 2 weeks
*Minimum of 4 days onsite each week using the project space (these dates can be agreed in advance)
*Artist Fee + Materials £900 + £100 materials
*The artist leads 1 x key participatory group activity or workshop over the period of the residency (and ideally available for a launch and open studios in September.
*2 x creative outputs
*Collaboration with current artists/studio holders is encouraged
WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ARTIST?
Paid opportunity
The offer of studio space for 10 days during the residency
Access to the creative community
Support from the Cultural Engagement Manager and Alice Billing House Studioa artists, Frames of Mind
A 1-2-1 creative lab with the founder of Grow Hackney
Opportunity to take part in several different types of training courses for skills related to archiving, research and event production
Access to Newham Archive
Flexible with dates of residency, but needs to be completed before the end of August
HOW TO APPLY
Email over a CV, cover letter and complete optional equal opportunities form to alicebillinghouse@growstudios.co.uk
Within your cover letter, please answer the 2 x application questions (below) + attach up to 6 images or pages that illustrate examples of your creative practice
The CV and cover letter should not be more than 2 pages. Your application can be submitted as a video/audio, but please do include examples of your work
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
How will your artistic practice benefit from this residency? (100-200 words)
Tell us about your practice; how your work can fit into our socially engaged programme and how your work relates to heritage (200 words)
WHO CAN APPLY?
Based in London, Newham based is desirable
Aged 18 or over
Grow Studios is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all individuals
KEY DATES
Deadline: 5 pm, 11th May 2025
Interviews: W/C 19 May (dates/times TBC)
Residency to take place between June & end of August
FAQs
What is Alice Billings House?
Grow Studios is working with the Creative Land Trust (CLT) and LB Newham to provide studio space at Alice Billing House in Stratford.
Alice Billing House is one of Newham’s most historic buildings located on Stratford’s historic High Street. The studios are made up of two blocks, one of which is a Grade II listed building, built in 1905-6 as firefighter’s accommodation for the West Ham Fire Brigade. The South block opened in January 2024 and is now the creative home to over 12 artists. The Creative Land Trust are currently fundraising to be able to convert the 2nd block into more studio space.
The buildings make a perfect space to repurpose into studios for artists to make their creative home. In addition to the studios, residency
What do you mean by responding to the Inspector of Nuisances?
The artist in residence will use their artistic practice to create work that will contribute to the Inspector of Nuisances project. More information will be provided in a project brief and any further questions can be answered in the interview and throughout the residency in the form of weekly check-ins .
Is there a minimum number of days the artist is expected to use the project space?
4 days each week to be spent on site in Stratford and pre-agreed in advance
What is the interview process like?
Based on application submissions, 2-3 applicants will be invited to an approximately 45 min chat at Alice Billing House to discuss their experience and ideas in more detail.
Is the building and project space accessible?
Yes, the project space is located on the ground floor, where there is also an accessible toilet.
How will the Payment work?
50% of payments once on site with workshop activity completed and final 50% paid on receipt of assets and/or by the end of the residency. A contract for supply of services will be agreed in advance before the commencement of the residency.