This year, for Creative Careers week the Hat Factory Arts Centre will be welcoming local school students aged 11+ into our organisation (view the full programme).
We will showcase the creative pathways in to working in the creative industries, heritage and the arts, focused around the work of the Culture Trust Luton. Each session will provide an opportunity to meet and see in action; practising artists, creative entrepreneurs, technicians, programmers, learning team and strategic leaders that enable and support the work of the Culture Trust, Luton.
Maximum group size, class of 35.
Lunch rooms can be booked on request.
All group visits, including self led activities must be booked via the Skills and Talent Team 01582 598065, culture4schools@lutonculture.com
More information about what’s on offer
Abi Spendlove
The Hat Factory’s first Bursary Artist. Abi will be artist in residence for 1 year and during the CC Skills week will host an open studio day. Especially for CC Skills week, there is a special opportunity for groups to meet her, see her at work in her studio and also have opportunity to Q&A her about her work and career pathways. An Ideal opportunity to support Arts Award students to Find Out about an artist and their art form.
Meet the Hat Factory, Library Theatre and Museums and Library programmers
An opportunity to quiz our programming team about their work, their career pathways and what it’s like to work for an organisation that has 2 museums, an arts centre, a library theatre and 6 libraries to programme! As part of the visit, they want you to help them solve a programming dilemma for the Hat Factory.
An ideal opportunity for Arts Award students to find out about how a cultural organisation works.
Meet the Hat Works Pioneers
The Hat Works Pioneers are a specially selected group of creative entrepreneurs who will be the first to work in the newly refurbished Hat Works, part of the cultural quarter. This is a diverse group of creatives, from filmmakers, poets, musicians, dancers, fashion designers to digital and graphic designers. This session will be an opportunity to Q &A Luton’s emerging creative entrepreneurs at the start of their business ventures and find out about their pathway to this point in their careers.
Meet the Young People’s Producer, Revoluton Arts
An opportunity to meet and hear from Furhaad who has had a colourful and inspiring pathway to a career in the creative sector as events producer for Revoluton arts.
Meet Matthew Shaul, the Curator of Departure Lounge and the assistant Curator Sammy Maitland
Departure Lounge is a contemporary art gallery and project space founded in Luton in 2010 by current curator Matthew Shaul and collaborator Trevor Horsewood. Established at the height of the financial crisis, with the aim of bringing ‘New Art to New Places’, Departure Lounge was originally set up using vacant retail premises. September 2016 the gallery has occupied the ‘Storefront’, a former hat factory on Bute Street. An opportunity to Q& A Matthew and Sammy about their career paths, see the exhibition hanging and prep for the launch that evening and have a tour of the new exhibition.
Meet the Skills and Talent team
Find out about careers in Cultural Learning and skills development, meet the team that work across the Cultural trust in Arts, Heritage and Libraries to enable, support and encourage a passion for cultural. Find out about their roles within the team and also about how they came to work here.
A Technical tour inviting you in to the working day of an Arts Centre Technician.
A view in to Backstage work at an arts centre with an opportunity to shadow the technician responsible for setting up exhibitions, events and programme for the Culture Trust. Q&A the technician as you shadow them at work to find out what being a technician really involves and how they came to work here.
This session is ideal for small groups (max 5 ) or 121 to have an immersive and hands on experience. Number limits are due to the small working spaces backstage.
Luton Culture’s Creative Careers world café
Meet the Heads of Luton Culture’s departments for Programming, Operations, Learning and Skills, Heritage and Finance. Find out about career pathways in to the arts and an opportunity to Q&A strategic leaders about their pathways to working in Luton Culture.
The University of Bedfordshire, Access Team presents morning or afternoon sessions with fun hands on activities in the Universities Art Department building. Including:
Tours of Alexon building and departments
T Shirt Printing
Meet the associates – student helpers
Free activities available throughout the week to compliment your other sessions, please book in advance.
Tour of Hat Factory arts Centre
See the newly refurbished Hat Factory arts centre, hear about the new programme planned for all the different spaces.
Tour of Hat District
A walking tour of the Hat District with a focus on the Art in the public realm. See Mark Titchener’s iconic piece on the side of the Hat Factory and other public art commissions in the area. Also see future plans for the cultural quarter and have your say!
Hat District Heritage Trail
A self led trail around the hat district discovering the heritage of the area and find out more about its future too.
To book or for more information please contact the Skills and Talent team:
Telephone: 01582 598065