Seventeen creative projects across Luton, Bedfordshire, have been awarded grants to bring new art and cultural activities to the town. Luton Borough Council announced the winners on 23 March 2026 as part of the Evolution Fund, which is aimed at boosting community pride and wellbeing.
The council chose the final 17 projects from a list of 148 applications made by local artists and community groups. Each project will receive between £5,000 and £20,000 to fund activities such as visual arts, theatre performances, and local heritage displays through until October 2026.
Some of the selected projects include a community archive celebrating 50 years of the Luton Carnival and a performance called AWAKEN which looks at local history. Other initiatives will focus on supporting refugees, people with special educational needs, and mental health recovery through creative workshops.
This funding is provided by Arts Council England, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and Luton Rising, the company that owns the local airport. Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation (BLCF) programme helps manage these grants to ensure local creativity can grow and reach more residents across the town.
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