Meet the
creatives!

Aaron Spendelow is a Bedfordshire-based theatre maker, performer and creative producer specialising in work for children and young audiences. With over 15 years’ experience, his work combines storytelling, puppetry and participatory theatre to create inclusive, imaginative experiences for schools and families. Credits include The Cat in the Hat UK Tour, Little Angel Theatre, Sesame Street Live and Spread a Smile Children’s Charity. He is the founder and Creative Producer of A Children’s Story, creating theatre and workshops that centre young people’s voices and bring high-quality creative experiences including theatres, festivals schools and community settings.

Abi Spendlove is a visual artist who works in a variety of mediums including drawing and sculpture. Her practice is inspired by material change, often rooted in natural landscapes.

Last year she took part in an international residency on a boat in the Arctic Circle and this year she will return to the Arctic for further research.

Abi has a Masters in Fine Art and a Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice. She has exhibited her work internationally, delivered large scale public and private commissions, and worked with organisations including Natural England, Northumbria University and the British Antarctic Survey.

Cheryl Prince is a Luton-born writer, actress, producer, and founder of 5D Theatre.

She creates transformative, multidimensional theatre that explores alternative perspectives, amplifies underrepresented voices, and fosters connection, wellbeing, and social change.

Cheryl is developing a trilogy of supernatural thriller plays and is producing Speak Low, Rise High. It’s a storytelling project highlighting Luton’s working-class community, through her role as Associate Artist for Revoluton Arts.

She is part of Producer Hub at Bedford Creative Arts and has led creative workshops for Music24.

Her work engages communities through participatory performance and storytelling that uncovers forgotten voices and contemporary social issues.

Trestle is a mask and physical theatre company that is part of Communities 1st. Our mission is to inspire creativity for all through participation and dialogue. We do this by approaching opportunities with an open mind and playful attitude using masks and mask technique to unlock creativity.

We open up opportunities for everyone to engage with the arts, unleash creativity, and increase confidence and general wellbeing through participation. Working with our masks presents participants, especially those who may otherwise struggle to communicate their stories with a liberating canvas to be creative, and join with others to build confidence and self-expression.

Denbigh Primary School is delighted to be leading an innovative creative arts project, The Sounds of Luton, in collaboration with local musicians, poets, and sound artists. This initiative provides pupils with the opportunity to explore and celebrate the soundscape of their community by recording everyday sounds from their environment — from playgrounds and homes to local markets, buses, and places of worship — and combining these with instruments, spoken word, and digital remixing. The project aligns with our school values and our commitment to being Dedicated to Excellence, offering pupils both technical and creative skills in sound recording, digital music production, and performance. Beyond practical skills, the project aims to validate and celebrate the diverse cultural identities of our pupils, giving them a platform to express their stories, heritage, and creativity. Pupils will collaborate to co-create an immersive audio-visual installation, which will be shared with parents, the wider school community, and Luton Council as part of their 150-year celebrations. Through this work, we hope to foster confidence, resilience, teamwork, and aspiration, while highlighting potential creative career pathways, strengthening community pride, and demonstrating the power of pupil voice in celebrating the rich, contemporary cultural life of Luton.

Dianne is a Performing Arts Practitioner and is very passionate about Theatre and all things creative. Dianne has written and directed plays, taught in schools, colleges and universities and currently works in Mental Health and Wellbeing for the Recovery College.

Dianne loves to help people reach their creative potential whether they feel they have it in them or not!

Fiona and Elaine are sisters whose collaborative and individual practices centre on portraiture, memory, and storytelling.

Elaine is a contemporary portrait and mixed-media artist based in Luton, creating layered works that weave identity, memory, and found autobiographical materials into textured visual narratives.

Fiona is an artist and storyteller whose work spans portraiture, oral storytelling, and digital archiving, with over two decades dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and preserving Luton’s social history.

Together, their practices transform personal and collective stories into resonant creative expressions.

As the 50th Anniversary of Luton’s Carnival approaches, a new heritage project is capturing the creative energy and cultural pride behind the event, and paying homage to the town’s Afro-Caribbean community.

Produced by Bedfordshire based creatives, Jade Scott (ITV, Sony) and Gabrielle Smith (The:nublk, CNN, Adobe), in collaboration with photographer and founder of Bumpkin Files Karis Beaumont (DAZED, New York Times) – Beyond Luton Carnival 50 is building a living archive through photography and community stories.

Rather than a static history, this project offers an evolving portrait of the people and memories that have shaped the Carnival’s legacy. It will culminate in an exhibition held during Black History Month.

Lugus Ceramics is a Community Interest Company founded by local artists to bring the joy of ceramics to Luton. Committed to accessibility, inclusivity, and education, we provide welcoming workshops where people can learn, experiment and develop creative skills with clay. Through regular sessions and funded programmes, we share the therapeutic benefits of ceramics for the mind and well-being. Working with partners such as Mind, Women’s Aid, schools, local charities, and partners we help rebuild confidence, resilience, and pride within those who are vulnerable and need it most. Based in Stockwood Park, we offer tiered pricing and strive to remove barriers to participation.

Luton Urban Radio proposing is an intergenerational joint Windrush Day and Father’s Day (Sunday 21st June 2026) event that has at its core blending black creative expressions with culturally grounded health and wellbeing awareness. The event will not only seek to honour the legacy of the Windrush Generation but equally important integrates a creative health awareness campaign through music, storytelling, dance, art and crafts. When health messages are embedded in Black cultural forms—Spoken word, Drama, Gospel, Reggae, Soul, Jazz, Afrobeats, carnival aesthetics—they are likely to become more relatable, memorable, and trusted. This is especially vital for engaging youth, elders, and those underserved by traditional outreach. Therefore we are calling the project, “Roots, Rhythm and Wellbeing”

Mary Hearne is a Luton-based socially engaged textile artist and workshop facilitator.

Her creative practice is often informed by locality and positive well-being. She believes that everyone’s life can be enriched by art, regardless of ability, background, or learning capabilities.

Mary has worked with the University of Bedfordshire, Luton Borough Council, Luton Rising, and Revoluton Arts, to name a few. This has furthered her understanding of the town’s artistic, cultural and social needs.

Pioneer Learning Trust is a values-driven, growing multi-academy trust based in Luton, Bedfordshire, focused on providing high-quality education with a strong emphasis on excellence, equity, and a “values-based” approach. The trust includes schools such as Chantry Primary Academy, The Ferrars Academy, Southfield Primary Academy, and Whitefield Primary Academy, aiming to foster a love of learning through a “Pioneer Promise” of rich, experiential opportunities.

They are excited to launch an inspiring cross-trust Art Club for children with a deep passion for creativity that extends beyond the standard curriculum. By working alongside a local professional artist, children will elevate their technical quality and explore real-world artistic aspirations.

Weaving Heritage is a new community project led by creative practitioner Shabeena Parveen. It will bring generations together through simple textile art and shared stories. Older residents will take part in sessions that explore identity, culture, and memories using upcycled fabric. Their stories will then shape creative workshops with young people, who will make their own textile pieces in response.

The project will support underrepresented groups, including first generation South Asian women. It aims to protect traditional skills, encourage sustainable making, and boost wellbeing. Weaving Heritage will create safe, welcoming spaces where people can connect and celebrate their heritage.

SIG Penrose Roots is an award-winning community-based recovery service in Luton supporting 600+ people annually through nature-based wellbeing, therapeutic creativity, and sustainable living.

Led by Art Coordinator Elizabeth Aldous – a qualified occupational therapist with education in visual arts and three-dimensional design – our project blends decades of community art experience with trauma-informed mental health support. Liz’s expertise spans therapeutic arts with mental health services, community projects, and person-centred creative practice.

Our programmes are co-designed with people with lived experience, creating accessible spaces where creativity flourishes alongside practical skills. Earth to Fibre marks our first creative showcase.

Sophie is an artist, poet and facilitator exploring interconnected ‘living’ heritage. She aims to encourage sitting with unknowns and finding space for a connection which transcends an individual lifespan, and amplifies the way human stories intersect over generations, through cultures and between historical narratives to bring us to the current moment in time, and inform the very people we are today.

She often partners with community organisations and museums, and has worked extensively within educational settings. She has had work featured on BBC Arts, Radio 6 Music and exhibited in the UK, China and on St Helena Island.

Thomas Young is a freelance filmmaker from Luton and in 2019 was selected as Creative Pioneer by The Culture Trust. His work spans documentaries to promotional videos, blending creative storytelling with community-focused film. Having worked with a range of clients across 11 countries, Thomas has a wealth of experience finding the rich stories that exist within communities. From the months he spent on the road filming and interviewing MMA fighters, to his work with charities and school trusts, and even a memorable project at a puppet festival, it’s the stories of the people he encounters that truly inspire Thomas.

Women’s Aid in Luton is a specialist domestic abuse organisation operated by women, for women and children. For over 50 years, we’ve supported some of the most vulnerable women and children to escape violence and rebuild their lives. Although we are part of the Women’s Aid Federation, we are a small independent charity, responsible for raising our own funds.

They provide:

• safe accommodation in five refuges for 24 women and up to 21 children fleeing domestic abuse
• person-centred legal, practical, emotional and employment support
• a dedicated helpline for those experiencing domestic abuse
• preventative outreach and early intervention programmes in the community

They focus on holistic support and are excited to be working in partnership with Priya Ramkisson to deliver a series of workshops designed to empower survivors of domestic abuse.