Luton Hat Factory: What's in store this October - from nightlife to award-winning playwrights

Luton’s Hat Factory is busy preparing for a series of varied events through October, following the success of Luton Literature Book Festival last month.

The Hat Factory is a central venue for Luton to showcase “local talent and leading artists from across the UK”. Events held there vary from live performances and theatre companies to creative workshops and much more.

And from time to time, the Hat Factory also run themed festivals.

In late September, Luton Literature hosted an array of book-related workshops and family focused sessions.

One in particular was a ‘Flash Fiction’ creative writing workshop run by University of Bedfordshire’s Tim Jarvis.

He said: “It was a real pleasure to run a flash fiction workshop at the first Luton Literature Book Festival. The session was really fun, with the group responding to exercises to produce some really imaginative and engaging short short stories!”.

Other events of the day included ‘interactive reading’ with Luton author Shana Jackson, ‘Making a Scene’ writing workshop, ‘Illustrators and authors’ with Tony Hough, ‘Welcome to the Gay Club’ with Simon James Green and more.

The festival was so successful that Luton Literature is hoping to make it an annual event.

To find out more information about upcoming Luton Literature events and festivals, click here.

What’s coming up at the Hat Factory?

Here is a taste of what is to come, for the rest of the month. You can find out more about Luton’s Black History month events on our website.

Each month, Luton citizens over the age of 18 are invited to ‘Drink and Draw’ whilst sharing ideas and creating art. This month, the event falls on Thursday (October 13) at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £5, and the evening is hosted by local illustrator and Comic Book Artist Karl Brown in partnership with the Culture Trust Luton.

Hat Factory’s Family Book Club will be running on three Saturday dates over the upcoming months - October 15, November 19, and December 3.

In Collaboration with Formy Books, all ages can discover the magic of books, imagination and adventure. The book club is free to drop in, and will run between 12pm - 3pm.

‘By the Light of the Moon’ is a fun and joyful drama and storytelling workshop for 4+ children. The workshop runs on October 25 and 26, with tickets available for £6 (Or £2 when purchased with a full price ticket for By the Light of the Moon in December).

Reasons You Should(n’t) Love Me is “a hilarious, heart-warming tale about how bad our wonderful lives can be” – focused on Juno, who is navigating adult life with Spina Bifida. The production begins at 7.30pm on October 28, and tickets will cost £10-£12.

The play is a debut for Amy Trigg, who won the Women’s Prize for Playwriting in 2020. Because of the occasional strong language and adult themes, the age guidance is 14+.

Luton’s Hat Factory is located at 65 - 67 Bute St, Luton (LU1 2EY).

To find more information on these events, and also other similar upcoming sessions, visit the Culture Trust Luton website.