The Culture Trust Luton Business Plan 2020-25 Report — CONTENTS SUMMARY 03 1. OUR PRIORITIES 04 2. CONTEXT 09 3. STRATEGIC CULTURAL VENUES 11 4. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS 15 5. STRATEGIC PROJECTS 17 6. STRATEGIC COLLECTIONS 18 7. IMPACTS 19 Front image: Photo: The Basement Bunch Ltd - a film and theatre production company with a commitment to community. https://thebasementbunch. co.uk - Photo by Greta Zabulyte — SUMMARY The Culture Trust is an independent Our purpose charity and company limited by The Culture Trust Luton is a progressive and entrepreneurial arts and cultural charity guarantee, established in 2008. and our mission is to connect communities We produce and present year- through meaningful culture and creativity. round programmes of activity Our vision across our two theatres, museums, Is to be recognised as a national arts and cultural arts centre, gardens, historic hat exemplar. factories and creative spaces. Our strategic aim Is to be financially independent. We manage the town’s heritage Our values collections and archives and Drive our choices, approach and organisational culture. have a collection of over 2 million We are: artefacts. We hold the most — Passionate extensive and complete hat — Relevant — Inspirational and headwear collection in the — Distinctive UK and the Mossman carriage — Ethical collection at Stockwood Discovery Priorities: Centre is the largest in Europe. Over the next 4 years (2021-25), we are focusing on delivering six priorities; We are proud to be based in Luton PRIORITY 1: Widen Community Participation and we welcome thousands of We increase community participation by freely regular local and regional users opening, animating and sharing culture at Wardown to our venues. We also invite the House Museum and Stockwood Discovery Centre. PRIORITY 2: Develop Young People’s Skills and Talent wider international community We will engage young people in a programme of to engage with this incredibly creative skills and talent development with clear diverse and stimulating town cultural career progression routes. through our cultural offer. PRIORITY 3: Present Inspiring and Diverse Arts We widen access to culture by presenting local and international music, theatre, comedy, dance and visual arts at the Hat Factory Arts Centre, Library Theatre and Storefront Gallery. PRIORITY 4: Grow Luton’s Creative Industry Cluster We will grow the Hat District creative community, networks, creative industry events, outdoor activity and promote more engagement with Luton’s hat heritage. PRIORITY 5: Co-curate Museum Collections We will curate and co-produce locally relevant and nationally important exhibitions, collections and projects. PRIORITY 6: Boost the Creative Economy We will develop a sustainable, resilient and forward- looking Trust, boost the local economy and advocate for the creative and cultural sector. Fig. 1 Stockwood Discovery Centre Gardens Image: The Culture Trust Luton 1. OUR PRIORITIES Fig. 2 Theatre at Wardown House Museum Image: The Culture Trust Luton We nurture our customers and Our Programme: audiences and we engage the What we programme: creativity of artists, curators, writers, Theatre, dance, circus arts, film, literature, story-telling, performers and producers to make exhibitions, workshops, talks, artist residencies, family great new work. events, comedy and music. Through our programmes we actively Where we programme: The Hat Factory studio theatre, gallery, basement promote the value of arts and culture in lounge & bar, Hatch Workshops, Luton Library Theatre, creating a sense of place, regeneration, Wardown House Museum & Gallery, Murray Barford wellbeing, community cohesion and in Gallery, Stockwood Discovery Centre’s special exhibition improving the quality of people’s lives. space, Hat Works and Hat District outdoor spaces. Our primary target market is: Across our programme we provide Local, under 25’s, artists/creative practitioners and creative opportunities and activities diverse communities: We will predominantly target for young people to inspire them and young people under the age of 25, students and creative practitioners and arts graduates. We also generate skills for life. re-engage lapsed local users or those who attend infrequently and provide opportunities for them to We create transition and progression engage more regularly. We will specifically focus on routes between formal education and increasing audiences and users from our diverse successful careers to enable anyone communities especially those who rarely engage in with a skill, interest or passion in arts arts and culture. and culture to meet their full potential. Our secondary target market is: Regional and national: We will develop incentives and Arts and cultural activity, resources, campaigns to attract people from a one hour travel venues, stock and collections are an time by bike, car, bus, train or plane to attend our major important way for the Trust to deliver programmes and events and use/hire our spaces. its objectives and so access to our International partnerships: communities is a priority for us. Are important to us to connect our work between the Trust and national and international partners who share arts and cultural objectives with us. By flight it’s one hour to Paris, two hours to Milan and seven hours to New York. OUR PRIORITIES PRIORITY 1: Work streams: WIDEN COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION 1.1 Wardown House Museum and 1.3 Cultural Wellbeing: Gallery: To develop Arts on Prescription To provide free public access to and wellbeing walks/trails for We increase community the museum, collection and to people of all ages engaging in participation by freely an inspirational venue which is free and subsidised activity that opening, animating and managed to high professional promotes positive mental health. standard. We deliver additional sharing culture across events theatre, music and 1.4 Growth Area for Research and temporary exhibitions involving our venues including Development: Wardown House and encouraging community collections and diverse histories. We would like to grow our own Museum and Stockwood produce in the greenhouses and Discovery. kitchen garden at Stockwood to 1.2 Stockwood Discovery Centre: serve across our cafes. We will To provide free public access to develop our gardens, team and the gardens, museums, galleries, volunteers to grow healthy food to art and woodland for year- eat, including heritage produce, round horticulture and heritage and promote localtraders/ enjoyment. We will deliver producers. additional programmes of outdoor arts, community events, indoor exhibitions and outdoor projects. PRIORITY 2: Work streams: DEVELOP YOUNG PEOPLE’S SKILLS AND 2.1 Schools Engagement: 2.3 Hat Works, Pioneers and TALENTS To provide specialist workshops Members: and educational visits linking To provide inspiring creative our cultural offer and museum workspaces for creative We will engage young collection/stories with the practitioners. We will offer people in a programme curriculum and wider learning affordable and accessible ‘pay as needs of young people. We will you go’ creative business start-up of creative skills and deliver activities at Stockwood, talent development with Wardown and the Hat District, spaces and member benefits. both virtual and physical. clear cultural career 2.4 Growth Area for Research & progression routes. Development: 2.2 Creative Skills and Career We would like to more formally Progression: train own curators and To develop inter-connected cultural leaders and engage workshops, events and networks local young people currently for young people to continually under- represented in Museum engage in culture and develop Management and Cultural cultural careers. We will provide leadership. To continue to launch specialist resources at Hat Works, careers in Luton and create world Hatch and Place of Making in class curators/cultural leaders. partnership with Universities, Schools, Colleges, Sixth Forms and LCEP. OUR PRIORITIES PRIORITY 3: Work streams: PRESENT INSPIRING AND DIVERSE ARTS 3.1 Hat Factory Arts Centre: 3.3 Luton Library Theatre: To deliver a programme of To showcase a seasonal stimulating, entertaining and programme that will focus We will widen access to diverse arts in our well- equipped on Young People and family culture by presenting and inclusive arts venue. We will audiences. We will also provide locally relevant and present, produce and partner new opportunities and technical work, showcase exemplary touring support for local companies and nationally important and engage local companies, artists groups to collaborate and hire music, theatre, comedy, and community initiatives to widen engagement. the space to test new work in a dance and visual arts professional environment. at the Hat Factory Arts Centre, Library Theatre, 3.2 Artist Commissions and New 3.4 Growth Area for Research & Storefront Gallery and Work: Development: To commission, support and We would like to grow our Arts the Hat District in the subsidise artists and creative production skills, and capacity and heart of Luton. companies who are developing team so that we can develop new locally relevant and nationally work and for our Venues to be important work that will excite and artistically led. engage new audiences to attend the Hat Factory Arts Centre, the Storefront Gallery and Factory Window. PRIORITY 4: Work streams: GROW LUTON’S CREATIVE INDUSTRY 4.1 Hat Factory Arts Centre: 4.3 Growth Area for Research & CLUSTER To become a vibrant creative Development: industry cluster