Hat District

Book : Luton Hat District: A Creative Cluster In The Making. /  by Shaun Armstrong

A beautiful and informative book containing over 120 of my original images has just been published following the practical completion of the first phase of Luton’s regeneration of its former ‘Hat District’.

I was commissioned by The Culture Trust, Luton from 2017 to 2022 to document the 5-year refurbishment, regeneration and transformation of a number of run-down former hat-making factories into vibrant creative workspaces, whilst retaining their important industrial heritage.

Visiting periodically, in liaison with the project team as various stages took place across the 3 main sites, I was allowed unfettered access to the buildings, both inside and outside as scaffolding allowed.

As I explored the spaces, alongside the more formal recording content of certain fixed perspectives, I was given a free rein to express the content, detail and nature of each space as I wished and the work taking place. This enabled me to observe not only the buildings in their widest space and location, but down to the finer details in the build and materials as they were and as they became, with all the stages of transition in between.

This body of work is now part of the permanent heritage archive to show how the built environment was cared for and reused.

The more abstract interpretations were curated into a series of prints by expert Matthew Shaul to form an exhibition known as ‘These Walls Tell Stories’ which enabled the public to visit and see the work. A series of limited-edition prints are available here alongside a signed copy of the book with a limited-edition print here.

This latest book has been written by The Culture Trust Luton’s Chief Executive and driving force behind the project, Marie Kirbyshaw, along with Heritage Officer Elise Naish, to tell both the heritage story of these hat factories and also the journey of the spaces and their future worth to the local creative community and beyond.

To see my work illustrate this story so extensively and lavishly is a real pleasure.

(All Images on pages below ©ShaunArmstrong)

These Walls Tell Stories: Photography Exhibition and limited edition prints. /  by Shaun Armstrong

These Walls Tell Stories was a professionally curated exhibition of photography drawn from my 5-year documentary commission of the Hat District heritage regeneration project for The Culture Trust, Luton.

Luton in Bedfordshire was for many years since the 17th Century the centre of the UK’s hat-making industry. As trends, production techniques and global trade evolved, the industry eventually compacted.

Whilst Luton still has some specialised hat suppliers and manufacturers, many beautiful buildings were left in disrepair or under-utilised.

The Culture Trust Luton had the vision to continue this process of adaptation and reinvention with a focus on generating an eco-system of spaces to attract and support creative industries.

A programme of restorations and refurbishment, to be known as The Hat District, incorporated spaces to be known as Hat Factory, Hat House, Hat Works and in due course a new-build, Hat Studios.

My 5-year commission covered documenting the spaces before, during and after, alongside the process of specialised work and industries.

This exhibition, incorporating a mixture of framed images and wall-prints, presented in a Wolfgang Tillmans style, focuses on capturing details and abstract elements pre-restoration. The patterns created by the diverse materials and building layout as it starts to change

These Walls Tell Stories in collaboration with The Culture Trust and presented by Matthew Shaul of Departure Lounge, took place at The Storefront in Luton (an old hat factory showroom) between 30 Nov and 21 December 2018.