Venues:

Hat Works, 47 Guildford Street, Luton, LU1 2NQ

Hat Factory Arts Centre, 65-67 Bute Street, Luton, LU1 2EY

Dates:

10–21 September 2025

Open daily, during building opening hours. Free entry.

(Artist will be painting live at Hat Works and Hat Factory Arts Centre – Beacon Lounge between Wednesday 10 and Friday 12 September and on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 September.

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.

Abu, known for his dynamic visual style and engaging public commissions, will be animating the upper windows of Hat Factory Arts Centre and Hat Works with a new collection of Arabic-inspired calligraphy using temporary chalk pen drawings. This evolving display will emerge gradually across the week, with Abu working live during daytime hours between 10 and 16 September. Passers-by and visitors will be encouraged to pause, look up, and interact with the artist as he works.

Drawn with a white chalk, Abu’s calligraphy is intentionally temporary yet striking - a poetic gesture that mirrors the passing nature of moments and memory. The choice of medium allows the work to sit lightly on the glass, catching the light by day and glowing softly at night, inviting reflection on the fragility and resilience of cultural expression. The windows become not just surfaces but spaces of invitation - to slow down, look closer, and see the old buildings anew.

The windows face one of the busiest pedestrian routes in Luton, with over 8,000 people moving daily between the town centre and the station. A targeted promotional campaign will further encourage people to stop, observe, and engage, not only with the artwork but with the heritage architecture itself.

This commission builds on Abu’s long-standing relationship with The Culture Trust, following a successful 2024 residency at Wardown House Museum and Gallery. Having held his first ever exhibition in the Hat District in 2018, this project marks a meaningful return to where his public-facing practice began.

The artwork will be visible from the street throughout the week. If inspired, Abu may expand the series to additional windows - so visitors are encouraged to return throughout the week to see how the work evolves.