University of Sussex

Since its foundation in 1961, the University of Sussex has famously challenged convention. From innovative approaches in education, to ground-breaking research in the arts and sciences, our communities continue to explore their worlds in bold and imaginative ways. We are fortunate to be located in such a culturally diverse and inspiring environment. It’s something we celebrate, and never more so than during the Brighton Festival. Creativity and courage go hand in hand. This is why we are so proud to continue sponsoring the Festival, which is a true celebration of art for all.

The University of Sussex has a rich heritage in both supporting and creating the arts. Its startling 1960s brutalist architecture, designed by Sir Basil Spence, has inspired artists and writers, while many great creative minds have mused along its redbrick corridors.

Notable alumni include Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller, novelists Ian McEwan and Philippa Gregory, and actors Opheila Lovibond and Bertie Carvel, while the current University Chancellor, Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE, in the tradition of former Chancellor, Lord (Richard) Attenborough, has firmly established Sussex as a place to appreciate culture in its many guises.

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, the multi-disciplinary arts centre on campus, has grown its reputation as a venue for some of the most inventive and genre-bending performance art, dance, music, film and installation being created today. It’s also a fantastic facility for our students to showcase their talents, a place for a wider public to engage with the critical thinking and research that takes place at University of Sussex and a venue where the community can share in Lord Attenborough’s vision of ‘arts for everyone’.