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Cultivating literacy
By: Emma Wigmore
Last updated: Saturday, 5 April 2025
Creative writing workshops at Dorothy Stringer School. *Images reproduced by kind permission of Dorothy Stringer School
Thanks to your support of the Sussex Fund, the Sussex Writes Project is inspiring young minds and making a real difference. This student-led creative writing initiative connects Sussex students with local schools, working with pupils to foster their love for storytelling and enhance literacy skills, confidence, and critical thinking.
Your gifts fund engaging workshops in which Sussex students mentor and inspire pupils—many from vulnerable backgrounds—helping them find their voices, think creatively, and empower them to express themselves confidently. You can feel proud that each year, your donations help pay for around 500 young people to take part in these inspiring workshops.
You’re also supporting Sussex students who take part, developing their leadership, communication, and teaching skills while making a lasting impact on the community.
Additionally, the Project plays an important role in terms of the legacy of an English National Curriculum that has arguably marginalised creative writing and independent scholarship, to the detriment of preparing young people for degree-level study.
“My students and I work with local schools to promote creativity, imagination, literacy and scholarly excellence, running research support events for the Higher Project Qualification (HPQ) and creative writing clubs in schools and on campus,” says Dr Emma Newport, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, who heads up the initiative.
“We have enjoyed great success with this year's clubs, poetry and drumming workshops, and the 19th-century printing press. Pupils continue to report how excited they are to participate and learn, as well as how they connect with Sussex and its students.”
Through the power of writing and the benevolence of our alumni, the Sussex Writes Project is making a significant impact on our local community, nurturing the next generation of thinkers and creators.