As a charity we work with a number of local businesses who support our work year round which includes the delivery of the Brighton Festival each May. 

Sponsoring a show is one way businesses can help and for this year’s festival we worked closely with a range of organisations: 

Brighton & Sussex Medical School  - Dementia Debate
Class of Their Own  - Children’s Parade
DMH Stallard - Information is Beautiful - David McCandless
Mayo Wynne Baxter - Sun - Hofesh Shechter
University of Sussex - Opus no 7 - Dmitry Krymov Lab

We had a generous donation from an individual (anon) to support the Children’s Parade and to help encourage further sponsorship of the event. This was then followed up by Class of Their Own.

We have many more businesses who have offered support in other ways, both cash and in-kind so huge thanks to them all.  

Brighton & Sussex Medical School (BSMS)

This is the first year we have worked with BSMS and they were keen to collaborate with the festival and support an event as part of their 10th anniversary celebrations. The Dementia Debate is a timely one as the topic is rarely out of the news, it being a key medical and social challenge for us all. On the panel were representatives from BSMS as well as other experts and professionals.

BSMS also took advantage of our venue to host a post show reception for the panellists and guests, including the Mayor, councillor Brian Fitch.

Their event also neatly complemented another festival piece - the world premiere of Tomorrow by theatre company Vanishing Point - which explored the subject of aging and care of the elderly. The Director of this show, Matthew Lenton also appeared as a panellist for the Dementia Debate.

‘I’ve just come back from a totally inspiring debate on dementia, orchestrated by the Medical School. It was one of the most thoughtful, humane, and positive debates I have ever heard, covering all aspects of what it means to be human. I just wanted you to know that few experiences have left an audience so totally engaged. The platform that the festival offers for this sort of philosophical and personal debate is very powerful, and a total triumph. Wonderful! Audience member

www.bsms.ac.uk

Class of Their Own

A new sponsor for 2014 and fantastic to have a local business so keen to support the Children’s Parade, the colourful procession that runs through the centre of town and kick-starts the festival. Class of Their Own felt this event was a natural fit for them – due to the fact that they have been providing After School, Holiday, Breakfast Clubs and baby-sitting services in Brighton, Hove and Shoreham since 2001.

They threw themselves into the big day and even participated in the actual parade with Spamalot as their theme. They made the most of the opportunity to meet local people on the day and raise awareness of their work.

‘This is our first year of sponsoring the Children’s Parade - and so far, it has been a really positive experience – the only question we are asking ourselves at the moment is why it took us so long to get involved!’ Tanya Petherick, Director at Class of Their Own.  

www.classoftheirown.com