INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES: WORKSHOP SERIES INSPIRED BY WOMEN’S HEALTH & HISTORY IN NEWHAM

29 Jul

This July 2025, we were thrilled to host Inspector of Nuisances – a series of workshops led by Bo and Zoe of Frames of Mind, as part of Newham Heritage Month. The project invited participants to explore the legacy of women’s health and working conditions in Newham over the past 60 years through creative storytelling, animation, and shared experience.

The workshops were inspired by the remarkable Alice Billing, West Ham’s first female Sanitation Inspector (1897 to 1930) and the namesake of Alice Billing House in Stratford, where the sessions were held.

In the 19th century, Inspector of Nuisances was a real job title. Alice’s pioneering role helped give voice to working women in a system largely governed by men. Her work, often involving sensitive conversations about health and hygiene, resonates even today. Her story became a springboard for participants to reflect on their own lived experiences and modern-day “nuisances.”

Bringing Stories to Life Through Animation

Over the course of three hands-on sessions (July 1st, 8th and 15th, 2025), 4 participants explored issues from the past and present, ranging from litter and public sanitation to invisible labour and intergenerational legacies. They learned how to express these themes through stop-frame animation, voiceover, and personal storytelling. No previous experience was needed, just a passion for history, social change, or storytelling.

We were moved by the personal objects people brought in to represent their modern nuisances and historical connections:

Suaad shared documents and photographs she had rescued from a skip, belonging to her grandmother, who had run a global merchant trading business selling boat parts from Somalia. Like Alice Billing, her grandmother’s achievements were unrecorded, even within her own family.
Lynda arrived with a bag of rubbish she collected from the streets and car parks of West Ham, her own protest against today’s throwaway society. In Alice’s time, little went to waste.

Deep Reflections and Lively Discussion

Despite sweltering temperatures affecting attendance, the workshops sparked powerful discussions. As Bo and Zoe of Frames of Mind shared:

“Delivering the workshops was a really positive and rewarding experience. The presentation on the socio-economic and historical context of Alice Billing’s era sparked fascinating conversations. Alice must have had to balance the ethical responsibilities of her job with protecting working women’s livelihoods. Maybe that’s why a female Inspector of Nuisances was so vital, because they had the empathy and will to educate and empower, not just penalise.”

Questions and speculations filled the space. Could the loss of Alice’s siblings, she was one of only two who survived childhood, have inspired her to work in public health? Did choosing not to marry (and thus retain her job in an era of marriage bars) reflect her commitment to independence?

Christine was fascinated by Victorian-era medicines and household products. How did people deal with anthrax or black mould before modern pharmaceuticals? Were they using the same base ingredients we still use today, just with a new label?

Lynda, who has a background in occupational therapy, reflected on how attitudes to public health have shifted, from tight-knit communities focused on prevention to a society increasingly detached from waste and its impact.

A Creative Outcome Worth Celebrating

Participants created diverse and personal works, with many staying for double sessions to complete their animations. As Frames of Mind noted, “This really could have been an eight-week course! The creativity and commitment shown by everyone was so impressive.”

The final works, including stop-frame animations, digital art, and striking portraits by Monika Szolle, Branding, will feature in the Newham Heritage Month Exhibition at Alice Billing House on 18th September 2025.

Huge thanks to all who took part, shared stories, brought objects, and embraced the creative challenge.

This project is part of the engagement programme at Alice Billing House, funded by Newham Heritage Month and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, supported by Creative Land Trust, and delivered by Grow Hackney Studios.