Sussex Retold - Sounds, Sites, Stories

If you have been looking for a way to dig a bit deeper into the history and culture of our region, there is a one-day conference coming up on June 19, 2026, called Sussex Retold - Sounds, Sites, Stories. It is being hosted at the Fulton Building at the University of Sussex, running from 09:00 to 19:00. The event is part of the university's Summer of Research 2026, organised by the Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research in partnership with the Sussex School for Progressive Futures. The focus here is on exploring traditional arts, crafts, and music, and looking at how that heritage might influence future developments in the area.

The programme is quite varied, mixing academic discussion with more practical, hands-on activities. Throughout the day, you can expect a mix of talks, stalls, and workshops. Some of the specific sessions include demonstrations by Brighton Morris, a session on 'Prehistoric Sussex on a Plate' which looks at ancient gastronomy, and creative writing workshops inspired by the Neolithic period and Knepp. There are also guided walks planned, including one that heads out to the students' forest food garden. For those interested in local archives, there will be displays from the Copper family collection held at The Keep. The day also features a site-specific 'promenade' drama about the history of the campus grounds, written by playwright Sara Clifford, and the event wraps up with a performance by The Wilderness Yet over at The Swan Inn.

It is a broad mix of contributors involved, including Anooshka Rawden, Alinah Azadeh, Sara Clifford, Caroline Lucas, Libby Drew, Matthew Bird, and Charlie Cain. The organisers have designed this for a wide range of people, from artists and storytellers to academics, land workers, and policymakers, though it is open to anyone with an interest in the region's heritage. If you are planning to attend, tickets are priced at £35 for concessions and £50 for standard entry. It seems like a straightforward way to spend a day engaging with local history and seeing how those stories are being interpreted today.