The Design Festival Luton and Beds 2016 will be hosted by the University’s School of Art & Design, based at Alexon House on Guilford Street, and will celebrate design disciplines from across the county.

Designers from local schools, colleges and the University, as well as practicing local designers with established practices, will showcase work to promote the cultural richness Bedfordshire has to offer.

The free event is open to the public who will also be able to take part in a number of workshops during the day, where visitors can find out more about different practices, including drawing, screen-printing, 3D printing and laser cutting.

In the run-up to the festival, the School of Art & Design has run a competition for local young people, inviting them to submit work that reflects how design can allow us to see the connections and differences that bind communities together. Eight finalists will showcase their work at the festival.

The festival’s organiser, Beverley Bothwell, who is also a Senior Lecturer in Fashion Design & Communication at the University, said: “We are really excited to be hosting the first Design Festival Luton and Beds. We think this will be a great opportunity for designers across Bedfordshire to come together and share ideas.”

Find out more about the festival by visiting  www.designfestlutonbeds.org

• To attend this free event, please register here