Dunstable’s wool trade, once a leading English export in the Middle Ages, provided livelihoods for thousands. Local merchants sourced fleeces and sold them across Europe. Later the town became known for the world-famous Dunstable Bonnet. With the arrival of the railway, this trade expanded into Luton, which developed a reputation for Straw Boaters. 

Natural dyeing, originating in the Iron Age, was once an integral part of daily life but is now often forgotten. The project will investigate the sustainability and ecological benefits of natural dyes, exploring the use of recycled cotton and linen, create a travelling exhibition, featuring hands-on demonstrations, historical displays, and ‘Meet the Expert’ days to engage a wider audience. The project will also deliver natural-dye workshops which will teach participants how to forage for local dye plants, extract the pigments and apply them to textiles. Attendees will create unique textile pieces using natural colours and learn about traditional dyeing methods. 

A degree-educated textile artist, natural dyer, and contact printer, Joanne Bowes creates handmade sketchbooks and scarves, nature-inspired stitched textiles, and semi-abstract watercolour landscapes. She is currently focusing on further developing her skills in transforming natural dyes and foraged earth pigments into watercolour paints.

The project brings the inspiring story of Mary Seacole and the Windrush generation to life for children, young people and families across Bedfordshire. Through interactive sessions in schools, libraries, hospitals, festivals, and youth spaces, the project will use the mascot, Nurse Dessie, to educate, empower, and celebrate Caribbean heritage. Co-produced with the community, these sessions developed will encourage children and young people of all cultures to become “heritage heroes”, fostering cultural pride, empathy, and cohesion.

Jessica Bignall brings a unique blend of experience from both the care industry and banking, combined with a deep passion for community heritage. A devoted mother of three, she has a natural talent for connecting with young audiences and making history feel engaging and relevant. Jessica’s love of cooking, storytelling, and celebrating cultural traditions shines through in her work, and she is dedicated to inspiring the next generation to explore and value their heritage.

"From Where We Came and Now We Belong” is an audio oral history project that will capture the migration journeys, settlement stories, and lived experiences of Luton’s Kashmiri and Pakistani community from the 1960s to the early 2000s.

Told through personal interviews recorded in community workshops and supported by local organisations, the series will explore themes of migration, work, family life, cultural identity, and community building. Each episode to be enriched with traditional music, soundscapes, and archival photographs, creating an immersive listening experience that brings these stories to life.

Shemiza Rashid is an award winning creative and cultural producer, based in Luton. She has 30 years of community arts engagement and has directed and produced for television, theatre, film, and radio. Shemiza is a creative consultant, published poet, radio producer broadcaster, audio drama maker, workshop facilitator & founder and producer at Autonomy Audio arts. 

An exploration of the cultural and political life of the Paisley motif, tracing its journey from its hand-woven origins in Kashmir to its mass-produced form in Britain, particularly in the town of Paisley, through colonial trade. 

Building on the Fine Art degree show Room 84: The Paisley, which re-imagined museum display conventions to examine these legacies, the project will combine archival research at the V&A, Paisley Museum, and the British Library to inform the creation of a new artwork reinterpreting the motif, alongside a short informative video on the Paisley. These works will be complemented by a commissioned sound piece and four community lino-printing workshops, connecting local history with global narratives of empire, migration, and commodification.

Born and raised in Bedford, Amina is a Fine Art graduate specialising in mixed media, set design, and installation. Amina's work has been exhibited in London and New York and is the 2023 recipient of The Edward Sharpe Prize. Her artistic practice explores themes of decoloniality and the interconnectivity of the past and present through 3D mixed media installation. She believes that art can serve as a tool to decolonise the Western world, and that this process must begin by acknowledging the past to understand the present. This concept is explored in her work by combining traditional designs with modern methods of making.

Heritage & Healing is a new community-focused initiative that seeks to explore the complex relationship between cultural heritage, resilience, and inherited trauma. Rooted in the experiences of marginalised and historically affected communities, the project will uncover, preserve, and celebrate heritage while also addressing the difficult ways in which trauma can be passed down through generations. 

Through research, intergenerational workshops, public storytelling events, and educational campaigns, Heritage & Healing will create opportunities for participants to reclaim and strengthen their cultural narratives. Ultimately, the project will culminate in a digital heritage archive and toolkit, ensuring long-term access, visibility, and legacy for the communities involved, while fostering empowerment, healing, and pride.