Cultural opportunities and information

Are you based in East Sussex?  For weekly bulletins on East Sussex Cultural Opportunities and Information please join the mailing list by emailing arts.officer@eastsussex.gov.uk – please use the heading The Friday Email.

East Sussex Community Information Service (ESCIS)

ESCIS holds details of almost 8,000 organisations and community groups around the county. Please see:

East Sussex Cultural Strategy 2013 – 2025

A twelve year partnership framework produced by East Sussex County Council on behalf of government agencies and services, cultural organisations and cultural leaders.

East Sussex Cultural Prospectus 2026

Culture and Collaboration: Our Shared Commitments for East Sussex -  the three original strategic priorities in the East Sussex Cultural Strategy have shaped a set of cultural commitments focused on creating lasting positive difference as we adapt to the changes ahead. 

East Sussex Cultural Prospectus 2026

East Sussex in Figures

East Sussex in Figures – Data Observatory to support your funding bids and proposals

Support for you

Mental Health Support: ACAS has launched a new campaign to support small businesses and organisations with mental health and wellbeing in the workplace: www.acas.org.uk/supporting-mental-health-workplace

Financial Support - Film, TV and Cinema workers (filmtvcharity.org.uk) A whole range of support can be found for this sector here.

Creative United e-learning course focused on core business skills. This on-demand course is aimed at artists and creative entrepreneurs who would like to grow their creative business and make it future-proof. It focuses on key topics such as business planning, fundraising, building rapport, leadership, marketing, and e-commerce. More information here. Cost is £185.

Online evaluation training for arts, culture and heritage professionals. This self-guided, free-to-access online course from the Centre for Cultural Value offers the opportunity to hear from experts, develop new approaches and build your evaluation skills and confidence. The course is available to start at any time and completing all six modules takes eight hours of study time. Learn more about identifying the role, value and everyday challenges of evaluation in the cultural sector and discover the principles and frameworks underpinning effective evaluation.  There is also the opportunity to explore creative evaluation methods, develop an evaluation plan and identify how your organisation can continue to learn from evaluation. Find out more and get started here.

ACE support for leaders. Arts Council England has created a new webpage offering a range of resources designed to support leaders of creative and cultural organisations. The page includes blogs, case studies and toolkits as well as opportunities for support, professional development and peer learning. It is organised into the following sections:

  • Self-care resources for leaders, from supporting mental health, to physical and emotional wellbeing, and resilience.
  • Business Innovation from case studies and thought leadership on different types of business models and governance models, to resources focussing on environmental responsibility, financial models and sustainability, new technology and AI.
  • Leading change to support your management practices, leading people and culture, and ensuring your organisation is inclusive and relevant.
  • Continuing your leadership development - leadership skills, opportunities and organisations across the creative and cultural sector that can offer support to leaders.

Join a new international creative ageing network. The Baring Foundation (UK) and Kaapeli in Finland are piloting a new informal and virtual network for international creative ageing (iCAN). iCAN is open to anyone, anywhere in the world, with an interest in arts and culture for older people (creative ageing). iCAN will host an online meeting with speakers from different countries twice a year; meetings will be in English.  If you’d like to be invited to the meetings and receive ad-hoc e-newsletters from iCAN, you can sign up here.

Sources of information (free to access)

3VA (Voluntary Action Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden) https://3va.org.uk/

Arts Council E-newsletter: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/our-organisation/sign-our-email-updates 

Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy: Subscribe to our mailing list | Cause4

Artswork: Our newsletters - Artswork

Artswork Alliance: https://us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=be42aac2260f50b9b3b3e9908&id=fcd9bae289

Arts Marketing Association: https://a-m-a.co.uk/team/newsletter/CultureHivemailingList.php

Brighton University: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/business-services/index.aspx

Centre for Sustainable Energy: Funding your project | Centre for Sustainable Energy (cse.org.uk)

Creative England: Creative England Creative England

Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre: Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (pec.ac.uk)

Creative United newsletter: https://www.creativeunited.org.uk/contact/ (scroll to the bottom)

Creative UK: Collective Newsletter - Creative UK (wearecreative.uk)

Cultural Learning Alliance: Cultural Learning Alliance – The Cultural Learning Alliance champions a right to art and culture for every child

Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance: https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/

East Sussex Growth Hub: https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/business/eastsussex/organisations/

External Funding Team/Funding News: Grants and funding – East Sussex County Council

The Film and TV Charity Freelancer Wellbeing Hub.

Freelancers Make Theatre Work Practical Resources - Freelancers make theatre work

Hastings Voluntary Action https://hastingsvoluntaryaction.org.uk/

Heritage Lottery Fund Welcome | The National Lottery Heritage Fund (scroll to the bottom for the sign up option)

Innovate UK Home - Innovate UK Business Connect

Julie’s Bicycle https://juliesbicycle.com/

National Centre for Creative Health https://ncch.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3fdfae7579cded8d5d111b603&id=7b8573933f

Rother Voluntary Action https://www.rva.uk.com/

Rural Services Network: Home Page - Rural Services Network (rsnonline.org.uk)

WHO Collaborating Centre for Arts & Health sign up to the mailing list.

Are you interested in receiving regular Creative Health News? The National Centre for Creative Health defines Creative Health as creative approaches and activities which have benefits for our health and wellbeing. Activities can include visual and performing arts, crafts, film, literature, cooking and creative activities in nature, such as gardening.

Esther Watts is the Creative Health Associate for Sussex and the South East. As part of her work she is gathering information on events, training and resources and sharing news. To sign up email: esther@ncch.org.uk

Arts and culture networks

Please email us if you would like your network added to this list. 

Hailsham Artists Network is a platform for local artists and makers of all levels to share knowledge and experience and to promote interest, participation and collaboration in the arts for all. https://www.hailshamartistsnetwork.co.uk/ 

Hastings Creatives a place to connect creative practitioners working in Hastings, St Leonards and the surrounding area – Bexhill, Battle, Rye and the villages in between.

Blue Monkey Network https://townereastbourne.org.uk/get-involved/blue-monkey-network based in Eastbourne, with members from all over East Sussex.

The Creative Newhaven Working Group creative@newhavenenterprisezone.com, https://newhavenenterprisezone.com/creative-newhaven/ Anyone, or any organisation, with a current and working interest in Newhaven’s cultural, arts and creative ecology is welcome.

Culture Declares Emergency South East Coast Hub Part of a national movement and community of individuals and organisations across the cultural sector declaring climate and ecological emergency and taking action in response. The South East Coast Hub launched in September 2021 and initially reaches from Brighton to Hastings. Contact: pollyagifford@gmail.com Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/294286784787676

Green Social Prescribing Innovation Community Nature practitioners, health professionals, policymakers and researchers are invited to join  Green Social Prescribing Innovation Community to collaborate and share learning as part of a cross-sector network. Green social prescribing connects people with nature-based activities to support their mental and physical health – so get involved to find out how others are taking this approach.

Health Equity Network Check it out here https://healthequitynetwork.co.uk/ - joining is free. The Health Equity Network is a platform to enable people who are doing great work on health equity in regions, towns, cities and organisations across the UK to share what they are doing with others, be inspired by what others are doing and collaborate in joint working. This network has a new fund now open from Legal and General. https://healthequitynetwork.co.uk/page/legal-general-health-equity-fund

Outside In – Artist Development This free to join organisation is for artists who might fall outside of the usual support networks or experience social isolation. For example (but not limited to), artists with no access to the internet, artists with experience of immigration, homelessness, the criminal justice system, substance misuse, people from traveller communities, LGBTQ+ communities, carers, single parents, artists who are housebound. Ambassadors actively look for organisations, services, places and people who may work with, be visited by, or know artists in need of recognition. They are also keen to hear directly from such gatekeepers who would be willing to help spread the word – this could range from providing space for the leaflets and posters or hosting our support sessions or courses. Are you an organisation looking to connect with Outside In? Get in touch by emailing ambassadors@outsidein.org.uk. They can arrange a free online presentation by our team about our work and what we offer artists.

The South East Creative Economy Network (SECEN) works to accelerate growth in the digital, creative and cultural sector. It is a working partnership between local authorities, creative businesses and education bodies across Greater Essex, Kent and Medway and East Sussex. SECEN is an open network. Anyone working within the sector has the opportunity to join and attend meetings. If you are interested in becoming a part of SECEN, please contact Sarah Wren: sarah.wren@kent.gov.uk

Sussex Dance Network Sussex Dance Network

Volta Artists’ Moving Image is a forum for artists, researchers and programmers working with the moving image and experimental film/video along and around the UK’s south-east coast, facilitated and hosted by Devonshire Collective. We meet once a month at different venues between Lewes, Brighton, Eastbourne, Bexhill, Hastings and St Leonards to connect, share work, and support each others’ practices. Each two hour session includes space for two attendees to present anything they’re working on for group discussion and friendly feedback. Every event is free and open to anyone with an interest in artists’ moving image and experimental filmmaking.  Email Sam Kaufman sam@devonshirecollective.co.uk to find out more and join future sessions.