The Culture Trust, Luton
Established in 2008, the Culture Trust, Luton is a vibrant independent charity with a mission ‘to connect communities through culture’. It is comprised of Wardown House Museum & Gallery, Stockwood Discovery Centre, The Hat Factory Arts Centre, and Hat Works creative workspace. It presents a multicultural year-round programme of events, exhibitions, workshops and performances and provides opportunities and cultural career progression for young creative talent.
The Trust cares for and shares the town’s museums and collections on behalf of Luton Borough Council. At the historic centre of the British hat industry, the museum holds one of the largest headwear and hat industry collections in the UK. It features over 3000 pieces of headwear from across the world and over 5000 items related to the hat industry, including straw plait samples, sewing machines, and dyeing samples. Its valuable reference materials include historic industry magazines such as Hatters Gazette and British Millinery.