Barbecue your regrets at Luton art launch

Residents of Luton are invited to barbecue their biggest regrets '“ literally '“ at the opening of a thought provoking and curious new art exhibition.
Toms exhibition A Barbecue of Regrets will be at The Storefront from September 22 until November 17.  His barbecue will be on Sept 22.Toms exhibition A Barbecue of Regrets will be at The Storefront from September 22 until November 17.  His barbecue will be on Sept 22.
Toms exhibition A Barbecue of Regrets will be at The Storefront from September 22 until November 17. His barbecue will be on Sept 22.

On Saturday, September 22, at The Storefront, Bute Street, performer Tom Hackett will be inviting residents to write things they feel remorseful about on a post-it note, which he will insert into a hole in charcoal bricks.

The artist is holding his second ‘Barbecue of Regrets’ event in the town, as this weekend he will be walking round with a wheelbarrow full of charcoal, cooking free veggie burgers for participants.

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The tasty treats are celebrating the launch of Tom’s new art exhibition for his ‘A Barbecue of Regrets’ project.

Tom said: “Meeting people from all walks of Luton life has been an inspirational experience.

“My encounters ranged from uplifting and playful exchanges with passers-by to hearing stories of deep personal loss and reflections and irreversible actions.”

Tom’s first barbecue in Luton was in May, and he used people’s regrets as inspiration for two exhibition pieces.

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For the walls, Hackett has used the collected words todigitally design and print a series of six padded fabric ‘canvases’. Meanwhile, a circle of five dome-shaped kettle barbecues form a sound sculpture, “speaking” the original regrets recorded by a series of voice actors.

His second barbecue, to open the exhibition, is this Saturday from 1pm until 4pm.

The project is funded by Arts Council England’s Luton Investment Programme.