Heritage Open Days at the Hat District
12–21 September 2025
Free events across Hat Works & Hat Factory Arts Centre
This September, The Culture Trust Luton joins the national celebration of Heritage Open Days, England’s largest festival of history and culture, with a vibrant programme exploring this year’s theme: Architecture.
Through live art, photography, talks, exhibitions and creative workshops, we invite visitors to engage with the stories, structures and hidden details that shape the Hat District and Luton’s wider built heritage.
Highlights include:
Stories Inscribed – Live calligraphy by artist Abu Yahya, transforming windows across the Hat District with large-scale chalk drawings inspired by Arabic script
Hidden in Plain Sight – A community-sourced photography exhibition featuring over 40 entries from local residents, capturing the overlooked beauty of Luton's architectural details. Online gallery is now active - read below!
Straw Boater: The Hat That Built Luton – A talk by Anderson Hatters exploring the global legacy of Luton’s iconic straw hat industry
Look to the Rooftops – A sold-out creative writing workshop uncovering Luton’s hidden histories through poetry and prose
British Hat Guild Events – Including the Materials Market and the launch of Making Headway, a national exhibition on sustainability in modern hat-making
The programme also showcases the talents of the Creative Pioneers 2025 – a cohort of emerging local creatives supported through a year-long development scheme.
Whether you're discovering a detail you've never noticed or reconnecting with Luton’s rich heritage, there’s something for everyone.
All events are free.
Hidden in Plain Sight
As part of Heritage Open Days 2025, the Hat Factory Arts Centre will host Hidden in Plain Sight, a community photo exhibition celebrating Luton's architectural character through its overlooked details – tiled doorsteps, carved plaques, decorative brickwork, fading signs and more.
Catch it during Heritage Open Days (12–21 Sept) and through to the end of September.
Stories Inscribed
The Culture Trust Luton has commissioned acclaimed local artist Abu Yahya to create a new series of large-scale calligraphy works in the Hat District, as part of Heritage Open Days 2025. The works will unfold live across the week of 12 – 21 September, drawing visitors' attention to the historic fabric of Luton’s former Hat Factories.
Look to the Rooftops
A workshop exploring Luton’s hidden history through creative writing during Heritage Open Days 2025 at the Hat District.
Straw boater: A talk about history and legacy
A workshop exploring Luton’s hidden history through creative writing during Heritage Open Days 2025 at the Hat District.
