Arts & Culture

 

There are few places in Britain which can offer such a wealth of arts & cultural experiences as Sussex. Creative people have been drawn here for centuries and many of our iconic cultural treasures were influenced and shaped here. Come and enjoy some of the oustanding cultural events and venues for which Sussex is famous.

Festivals

Sussex is surely the Festival capital of England. Brighton Festival every May is the biggest cultural extravaganza in England. Like strawberries and cream, Wimbledon and Henley, the Glyndebourne festival season (May to the end of August) is a highlight of the English summer season. If you love opera, it’s a must. The whole event – dressing up, the beautiful setting, champagne picnics in the garden and top international performers – is an unrivalled experience. Chichester Festivities in July and Arundel Festival in August always have strong line ups with candlelit choirs in Chichester Cathedral and classical orchestras in Goodwood House to Firework proms under the battlements of Arundel Castle.The Paramount Brighton Comedy Festival in October features the most talented performers in comedy today,

Live Performance

All across Sussex you will find famous theatres such as Chichester Festival Theatre , Opera at Glyndebourne; the Theatre Royal,and the refurbished Dome Theatre both in Brighton, along with.two smaller venues, the Pavilion Theatre and the Corn Exchange, which host everything from internationally renowned orchestras, Russian opera and ballet companies to up and coming indie bands, jazz divas and TV comics.

The Modernist iconic  De La Warr Pavilion occupies a prime seafront position in Bexhill and was recently restored to its former grandeur. This famous theatre puts on a lively programme of exhibitions by national and international artists, contemporary music gigs and classical concerts and events for children and young people both inside and outside the building

For new plays, popular musicals and classic thrillers as well as contemporary dance, opera and panto, check out the programmes at Worthing Theatres venues; The Hawth in Crawley;  Eastbourne’s Congress Theatre and the White Rock Theatre in Hastings

Galleries

Pallant House Gallery in Chichester has one of the best collections of 20th century art in the country. In Eastbourne, the Towner Art Gallery has an exciting, new, £8.5m purpose-built gallery in the Devonshire Park cultural quarter. Collections include works by greats like Picasso, Sussex artist Eric Ravilious and contemporary stars Julian Opie, Wolfgang Tillmans and Tacita Dean.The De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, the UK's first public building built in the Modernist style, has two bright and spacious galleries showing a rolling programme of innovative exhibitions of contemporary art by leading national and international artisits. In contrast is bohemian Charleston House, the country home of Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant from 1916 to the 1970s.

Museums

Amberley Museum, near Arundel, is a unique , mainly open -air museum showcasing our industrial heritage. Ditchling Museum has a rich collection of the art of engraver and type designer Eric Gill, weaver Ethel Mairet and artist Frank Brangwyn, among others. Brighton Museum & Art Gallery’s exciting collections include fashion, world art and internationally renowned 20th century Decorative Arts featuring Art Nouveau and Art Deco furniture, Lalique glass, and chairs by contemporary designers.

Stately Homes

Sussex has over 43 Stately Homes and Castles which are open to the public. These include national treasures such as Petworth House, Uppark (National Trust) and Arundel Castle, the 2nd largest castle in England. Further East, the fascinating Napoleonic Fort at Newhaven, and the elegant Bodiam Castle are "must visit" attractions for any visitor interested in discovering British history.