SUPPORT SECURED FROM FROM NATIONAL LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND FOR THE RENOVATION
In partnership with Newham Council, the Creative Land Trust has secured £3.8 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funders, to fully restore Alice Billing House, this Grade II listed, firefighters’ quarters, which incorporates a rare, firehose drying tower.
Alice Billing House is being transformed and brought back to life as affordable studios for artists and creatives, who are critical to the ongoing contribution of £63 billion of annual economic output made by the UK’s creative industries.
The £3.8 million of funding will breathe life back into the North Building and further improve the South Building, ensuring that the Grade II listed property is safely restored and taken off the Heritage at Risk register. Its new resident artists will continue to build upon the inclusive and representative resource for Newham’s residents, offering activities in the new public spaces, including a pavilion and garden.
Additional generous multiyear funding has been provided by the Garfield Weston Foundation and Architectural Heritage Fund as well as London Legacy Development Corporation and London Borough of Newham. The project benefits from ongoing advice and support from specialists at Historic England.
The news comes one year after Creative Land Trust opened the doors of the South Building under budget and on time, in collaboration with Newham Council, Purcell Architects and Grow Studios. It now provides permanent workspace for 25 artists.
On completion in early 2027, Alice Billing House will provide additional affordable studios for up to 42 creatives, securing permanent space for local artists to thrive creatively and economically. It will also fund an ongoing outreach programme run by Grow Studios that centres around the arts and local heritage and engages extensively with the local community.
Annie Clements CEO of Creative Land Trust said:
“The generous funding secured will ensure that the building becomes a vibrant community asset making the arts more accessible by promoting heritage, cultural diversity and wellbeing. Securing affordable workspace for artists and creatives in London is our focus and we are actively looking to partner with local authorities and property owners to expand our portfolio and replicate this flagship project in other underused heritage buildings across London and beyond.”
Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz said:
‘The transformation of Alice Billing House into a cultural hub symbolises the exciting artistic future the borough can look forward to, complementing the BBC, V&A, Sadler’s Wells, and the London College of Fashion at the nearby East Bank, as well as the Talent House for Urban Culture on Sugar House Island’
Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
“We’re thrilled to be able to support this fantastic project thanks to National Lottery players. Not only will this project restore a historic building that is at risk, but it will offer Newham’s community a space to gather and artists a place to thrive. Projects like this are so important as they breathe new life into the communities we live in and the heritage that surrounds us every day.”
Riona McMorrow, Head of Grants at The Architectural Heritage Fund, said
“It brings us great pleasure to have awarded further funding towards the transformation of Alice Billing House. Having previously supported work to restore the South Block, now a thriving asset for Stratford and London’s creative community, we are delighted to be providing this new Heritage Revival Fund grant towards design work for the refurbishment of the North Block. We look forward to seeing this heritage-at-risk asset brought back into sustainable use, providing additional affordable studios and helping more local artists to thrive creatively and economically.”
Aisha Mirza, Alice Billing House Studio Holder, accessible studio, said:
“Finding genuinely affordable and accessible studio space in this city has become nearly impossible. I was looking for two years before I came across Alice Billing House and very luckily, I was accepted. Having this consistent space for dreaming, making and planning has brought a sense of security and possibility to my life and the life of my wider community which is completely priceless.”
Jordanna Greaves, Head of Cultural Engagement at Grow Studios, said:
“This past year, bringing a new chapter into Alice Billing House has been both exciting and rewarding for the Grow Studios team. With the South Block now full of artists and a growing public engagement programme, there’s a renewed sense of energy and purpose in this incredible heritage site. Bringing artists together is at the heart of what we do at Grow, and we’re looking forward to building on this momentum as the North Block is brought back into action, and we continue to help shape the building’s future for all those who use it.”
Elizabeth Smith, Partner and Chair at Purcell said:
“The restoration of Alice Billings House marks an important step in the physical, social, cultural, and environmental renewal of this historic Stratford site. We are pleased that funding has been secured to complete the restoration of the building’s North Block, helping to preserve its remarkable heritage. We look forward to continuing our work with Creative Land Trust to realise our joint vision of returning the building to public use and supporting creativity in Stratford through the provision of affordable studios, opening up new opportunities for artists, and contributing to the site’s long-term regeneration.”