Culture Sussex brings together cultural leaders and local authority partners across East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex to develop a shared vision for culture in the region.

Culture Sussex works collectively to ensure Sussex's dynamic cultural ecosystem is recognised as central to economic growth, health and wellbeing, skills, environmental responsibility, community cohesion and place-making within the emerging Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority.

Acting as a catalyst for collaboration across the cultural, creative industries and heritage sectors, Culture Sussex is developing a sector‑owned Case for Culture to support advocacy and help shape future investment and policy. This work aims to position Culture Sussex as the strategic voice for culture in the region and supporting long‑term priorities.

• Terms of Reference

• Culture Sussex is committed to acting as a cultural catalyst to support crossover with creative industries and the heritage sector within the region (East Sussex, West Sussex, Brighton and Hove).

• The group is underpinned by a collective understanding of the benefit that arts and culture brings to the region’s communities. 

• Its operating principle is based on collaboration between the cultural sector, local government bodies, environment and education partners in the region. 

• Members will work together to develop longer-term initiatives, positioning the group as the region’s primary strategic cultural voice. 

  
  Operations
  

• Culture Sussex is led by a group of representatives from each of the three geographical areas in our region.

• Each geographical area will be represented by two cultural sector representatives and one local government officer representing councils at county and district level.

• In addition, pan-Sussex experts may be invited to represent cultural interests in specific sectors, e.g. environment, health and education.

• The Chair of the group will be allocated on a rotational basis between the cultural representatives of the three areas.

• Meeting frequency will be decided by the group and reviewed on a regular basis. In the first instance, it will meet every six weeks as Culture Sussex is established. 

• Voting rights will be allocated to the six cultural sector representatives.

• All other members will act as critical friends and stakeholders with responsibility to deliver feedback and cascade developments to relevant local authorities. 

• Cultural sector representatives on the group will be responsible for delivering feedback from and cascade developments to nominated cultural networks.

• University of Sussex will commit to provide administration of the meetings, expertise around data, public affairs, advice and project delivery until the end of 2026 to enable the Group to become established.

• The group may delegate discrete packages of work to a sub-committee, for example advising on the creation of a Case for Culture.

Culture Sussex includes representatives from Brighton & Hove Culture Alliance, West Sussex Creatives and Culture East Sussex, ensuring that all places in the county are represented.