TALES IN TILES - PRESS RELEASE
Community Mosaic-Making Workshops Pop-Up at Stratford Market Village
GROW Studios and Creative Land Trust have launched a new Community Project at Stratford Market Village making Mosaics under the direction of artist Tessa Hunkin.
The work, which will see local residents working with leading artists to create large-scale mosaics, will be permanently installed at Alice Billing House, a historic Stratford High Street landmark, now operating as affordable studios for Stratford artists.
The project is part of an initiative by GROW Studios and Creative Land Trust, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by theLondon Borough of Newham, to make art more accessible, both by providing artists with affordable, permanent studio space in which they can work, and by giving people in London opportunities to use art to celebrate their local community.
Marguerite Metz, Cultural Engagement Manager at GROW Studios, said:
“This residency is about creativity, confidence and connection. Our community projects show it can be very powerful when people are given the opportunity to make something together, and we wanted to build on that momentum, and to create something that reflects the unique sense of belonging that people have in Stratford. We are delighted to be working with Creative Land Trust and incredibly grateful to Stratford Market Village for giving a free space in the heart of the community for the work to be created.
Yves Blais, Operations Manager at Creative Land Trust, said:
“It has been brilliant to see Alice Billing House become an artistic hub for everyone in Stratford. Artists are part of London’s essential infrastructure, but they can only thrive if they have secure, affordable space. As a creative placekeeper, Creative Land Trust protects buildings like Alice Billing House for long-term creative use. What’s exciting about this project is how that space comes to life – bringing artists and local communities together to create something that will endure.”
Tessa Hunkin, Lead Mosaic Artist and designer of the acclaimed Shepherdess Walk community mosaic, said:
“The residency with Alice Billing House is a great opportunity to work with a new group of people and introduce them to the pleasures of mosaic making. It is a unique technique with a longer history than almost any other artistic medium. It is also quite easy to get started and doesn’t require great skill or experience. The cutting tools are very simple and the materials- glass and ceramic - are not too hard or sharp. The only vital requirement is patience because building up images out of small pieces is a slow business. But this is also its great attraction because the gentle, methodical task is very calming and satisfying. It allows people to talk while they work, to make new friends, and to work together with a common purpose. The finished pieces will be displayed at Alice Billing House, where their work will be admired by the wider community and create a lasting testament to their hours of careful labour.”
Rada Stilianov, Mosaic Artist, Leading Workshop Facilitation
“I believe Mosaic has a remarkable way of bringing people together across ages, cultures, and all stages of life. Each section becomes part of a wider narrative, telling not only its own story through the hands of the people who made it, while also reflecting the story of the building itself, Alice Billing House. Holding the workshop in the lively setting of the Stratford Village Market makes it feel especially meaningful, offering a rare chance to share traditional craft skills within the flow of everyday life. This open space invites everyone in, making each session wonderfully unpredictable. It inspires me to adapt my teaching style, finding the right balance between guiding participants in essential techniques and allowing them the freedom to express their creativity.” Rada Stilianova, Lead Mosaic Artist Facilitator for Tales in Tiles
Frances, Participant, Community Mosaic Project (2026), said:
“I’m really glad to have found a project that’s helped me learn more about and connect with the local community through collective creativity. I’m currently on maternity leave, so being part of this creative community and contributing to a lasting artwork has been a really positive experience for me so far.”
About the project
Running from 3 March to 29 May 2026, the project offers free artist-led workshops twice a week, giving people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to learn mosaic techniques, connect with their community and contribute to a lasting legacy artwork. The commission is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by Stratford Market Village and London Borough of Newham. The project opened with a fully booked taster session on 3 March, followed by regular workshops every Tuesday and Thursday, 2pm-5pm, throughout March, April and May.
Sessions are led by mosaic artist Rada Stilianova and the project is overseen by lead artist Tessa Hunkin, designer of the acclaimed Shepherdess Walk community mosaic in Hackney. Participants will learn hands-on mosaic techniques and experience the collaborative process that celebrates the creativity and history of our local area. Participants will create two large illustrative mosaic panels reflecting the building’s firefighting history, as well as a prominent sign for the entrance.
There are also plans to develop a further three mosaic mural panels celebrating Alice Billing, the studios’ namesake. Fundraising for this phase is currently underway, with the aim of delivering this work on-site once Alice Billing House, North Block and its Community Pavilion open in 2027. The completed mosaics will be installed at Alice Billing House, one of Stratford’s most historic buildings on the High Street.
There is still a chance to be part of this project. Please email marguerite@growstudios.co.uk for more infromation
About Alice Billing Studios
Built in 1905–06 as firefighter accommodation for the former West Ham Fire Brigade, the Grade II listed site is now being transformed into artist studios and a community creative space. Alice Billing House is run by GROW Studios and made possible by Creative Land Trust, with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, London Borough of Newham and other funders.
Through Creative Land Trust, the building has been secured as permanent, affordable workspace for artists. As a creative placekeeper, Creative Land Trust secures buildings for long-term creative use, protecting the essential infrastructure that enables artists to remain embedded in communities and for cultural life to thrive.
At a time when affordable studio space across London is increasingly fragile, securing buildings like Alice Billing House in perpetuity is critical to sustaining the city’s creative life.
About GROW and Creative Land Trust community projects
The project builds on a previous community stitch project, The Supper Cloth.
As part of this initiative, a large-scale embroidery was taken on tour across Newham, visiting Abbey Gardens, Stratford Library and Stratford Centre, where over 200 local people stitched parts of a collective embroidery artwork at drop-in workshops.
The project highlighted a strong appetite for accessible, hands-on creative activity and created a welcoming space for people to connect through making.
The 2026 residency has been made possible through the generous support of Stratford Market Village, whose management team has provided a studio unit free of charge for the full three-month period. The support reflects a shared commitment to community wellbeing and local engagement, with the timing of the project coinciding with Ramadan and a desire to support a positive community initiative.
More information about the project is available at:
https://www.alicebillinghouse.co.uk/events/community-mosaic-project
Notes to editors:
About Grow Studios
Established in 2007, Grow Studios was founded in two converted warehouses in Hackney Wick with a mission to provide affordable, flexible workspace for artists and makers. Built on a strong DIY ethos and principles of the sharing economy, Grow has developed a vibrant and diverse community of over 100 creative practitioners—ranging from emerging talent to established artists - across its Hackney Wick and Stratford sites.
The studios form part of a wider creative ecosystem that includes GROW, an independent music and arts venue in Hackney Wick. The founders also operate studio spaces with a dedicated project space in Plymouth, further extending their commitment to supporting creative communities.
Web: growstudios.co.uk | alicebillinghouse.co.uk Instagram: @growhackneystudios | @alicebillinghouse
About Creative Land Trust
Creative Land Trust is a cultural organisation using property as its enabling tool. It secures buildings across London as permanent, affordable workspace for artists, protecting the long-term conditions needed for creative practice to flourish.
Founded by the Mayor of London, Arts Council England, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Outset Contemporary Art Fund, CLT acts as a creative placekeeper – a long-term steward of London’s creative infrastructure – ensuring that artists and creative communities remain embedded within neighbourhoods across the city.
By building a portfolio of permanently affordable studio space, Creative Land Trust is helping to secure the future of art-making in London and sustain the cultural vitality that defines the capital.
https://creativelandtrust.org/
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund
Alice Billing House is a historic building on Stratford High Street being developed as artist studios and community creative space by Creative Land Trust in partnership with the London Borough of Newham. The restoration is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funders.
Community Mosaic Project runs from 3 March to 29 May 2026 at Stratford Market Village, London E15, with workshops twice weekly. The completed mosaic will be installed at Alice Billing House.
Tessa Hunkin – Artist Biography
Tessa Hunkin is a London-based mosaic artist specialising in large-scale community mosaic projects in public spaces. Her work brings together residents, schools and community groups to create artworks that reflect local identity and shared stories. Her projects include major public commissions across the UK, including the widely recognised Shepherdess Walk mosaic in Hackney created collaboratively with local participants. She is known for combining high artistic quality with inclusive community engagement, enabling people of all ages and backgrounds to contribute to meaningful public art.
Photography, interviews and filming opportunities are available throughout the residency.