Fri 12th Sep 2025
Hidden in Plain Sight: Photo Exhibition – Heritage Open Days 2025
10:00am - 4:00pm
Price: £0
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.
The exhibition features photographs submitted by Luton residents and visitors, each capturing a small piece of the town’s built heritage that might otherwise go unnoticed. Submissions are open to all, regardless of photography experience. No specialist equipment is required – a mobile phone is enough.
Selected entries will be exhibited in print at the Hat Factory, shown digitally across the Hat District, and shared online. Each selected participant will also receive a high-quality print of their work.
Want to take part?
Submissions are open until Monday 9 September 2025.
Visit: https://hatdistrict.co.uk/hiddenphoto2025
A free mobile photography guide is also available to help you get started: https://hatdistrict.co.uk/heritage-photography-guide
Dates
- Friday, September 12, 2025
The Hat Factory
The Hat Factory is Luton's leading arts and entertainment venue featuring live music, club nights, theatre, dance, films, children's activities, workshops, classes and gallery exhibitions.
It's a centre of artistic excellence set within a vibrant urban environment. It offers the young and the young at heart the chance to engage with the arts, to be inspired by the UK’s leading arts practitioners, and to develop artistic skills and confidence.
The Hat Factory is a combined arts venue in the centre of Luton. It opened in 2003 and since then has been the area’s main provider of contemporary theatre, dance and music. We work with both emerging and proven producers and artists, through programming, engagement programmes and our Associate Artist scheme. Their music programming is vibrant, offering an eclectic portfolio of high quality artists from the worlds of jazz, blues, folk, world music, indie and hip hop. Complementing their own programming, they welcome local/regional promoters to the venue, broadening their music offer and at the same time supporting young promoters and their businesses. They programme contemporary theatre and dance with a focus on fresh, new and relevant stories from both established and emerging touring companies who are making high quality work in the UK. They’ve programmed companies like Earthfall, Chickenshed, New International Encounter (NIE), Trestle, Menagerie, Eastern Angles, Atma, State of Emergency, 30 Bird, Tavaziva, Analogue and Jean Abreu Dance to name but a few.
Venue Hire
The Hat Factory has flexible spaces of various sizes to suit every need. See Venue Hire for more information.
Programming
To become part of The Hat Factory's programme, please contact our Head of Arts & Cultural Programmes, Fahim Qureshi at Fahim.Qureshi@LutonCulture.com
Other Exhibition Events
Wed 10th Sep 2025
Stories Inscribed: Live calligraphy in the Hat District by Abu Yahya
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.
The Hat Factory