Luton Hat factory reopening will stop town's 'talent drain'

The Hat Factory Arts Centre will officially reopen with a special performance by Tangled Feet

The £1.87m modernisation of an arts centre in a former hat factory aims to "stem the talent drain" in a town.

Guy Smith, director of business performance for The Culture Trust, Luton, said the town "deserved" the reopening of The Hat Factory Arts Centre and it would "benefit everyone".

The work is part of a £10m project to establish a "creative cluster" made up of four buildings.

The six-year project should be completed by 2022, he said.

The Hat Factory Arts Centre closed for modernisation on 1 April 2018

In April 2018, the arts centre closed so refurbishment could take place at the former factory, which was built in 1926. It is due to reopen on Friday evening.

It first opened as a cultural venue in the late 1990s and has been used for live music, theatre, dance, films, children's activities, workshops, classes and exhibitions.

Mr Smith said: "It is to give space and opportunity to young creatives in Luton and stem the talent drain to London and elsewhere.

He said they were aiming for a "creative cluster" in the town which will also include include the Hat House, Hat Works and Hat Studios.

Hat House, on Guildford Street, is set to open in October, Hat Work in 2020, and Hat Studios, a brand new building, by 2022.

"Luton needs and deserves it", he said, and the funding, which mostly comes from the Arts Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Architectural Heritage Fund, is "money well spent".

"If it didn't come to Luton it would go elsewhere," he added.

Several performers have created a "massive outdoor collaborative spectacle" to bring the building "back to life", Tangled Feet said

Nathan Curry, co-artistic director of Tangled Feet, a Luton-based physical theatre ensemble, has created a special performance for the reopening.

"We are breathing new life into this creative hub and celebrating the industry, collaboration and artistry of the new Hat District, which will be accessible for all.

"Audiences can expect all of that creativity bursting out the windows and down the walls."

The Hat Factory Arts Centre is in the Plaiter's Lea area in the centre of Luton on Bute Street