The conference, A Sense of Place: Arts, enterprise and placemaking will take place at the University and in Luton on 3-4 November 2017.

It will be an interdisciplinary conference to bring together arts funders, policymakers in local and regional government, artists, and academics through a discussion of the impact of art practice on ‘a sense of place’.

The University’s Executive Dean of Academic Partnerships Professor Helen Bailey, who leads the TestBeds programme said: “We are very excited to host the first ever TestBeds conference here in Luton.

“We look forward to bringing together artists from a wide range of artistic practices and to explore how creative practice allows us to explore changes and test new scenarios which have important benefits for social cohesion, rural and urban identity and public impact.”

Please submit your 200-300 word proposal via the TestBeds website by midnight Sunday 6 August. All proposals will be reviewed and you will be notified of the outcome by the 31 August.

For submissions enquiries please contact: Michaela Nutt, Arts & Culture Projects Manager: michaela.nutt@beds.ac.uk

About TestBeds:

TestBeds is a part of the Arts Council England Luton Investment Programme, a £1.5m investment over three years to develop arts and culture in Luton. TestBeds brings local, early-career creative practitioners together with internationally-renowned artists and immerses them in a hothouse for creative innovation. The project focuses on developing artists from diverse backgrounds as placemakers - enhancing their capacity to make a lasting difference to Luton and spearheading innovative, cross-disciplinary research into the employment of arts and culture as catalysts for change.

About the Luton Investment Programme:

The Luton Investment Programme also includes As You Change So Do I, a public realm arts programme which explores creative ideas, projects, projections and art in public spaces with visitors to, and users of central Luton. The project is led by Luton Culture in association with lead artist and Turner Prize nominee Mark Titchner. The Programme also supports the new Ten-Year Strategic Vision for the arts, cultural and creative industries in Luton.  These link to the wider strategic vision and ambitions for the town which are set out in the Luton Investment Framework 2015-2025 which includes a bid for Luton to be named City of Culture 2025.

For press enquiries please contact: Ulrika Meegolla, Media Relations Manager on ulrika.meegolla@beds.ac.uk or call (01582) 489399.