Co-creation between students and staff in the School of Media, Arts and Humanities is at the heart of the Sussex Festival of Ideas - a two-day celebration of the transformative power of the arts and humanities.

Events exploring black identities and the countryside, irreverent responses to inequality and exploitation within the cultural industries and the visual cultures of Instagram have been created by groups of students, alumni and staff working in partnership. In particular, students from the new Sussex Liberal Arts have taken the lead on a key event looking at the cultural mediations of climate change.

The two-day programme on 29 and 30 March will also include events looking at the media coverage of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, the new visibility of menopausal life and politics, and the work of film pioneer Jill Craigie.

A keynote presentation by Gary Younge will focus on one of the most pressing cultural questions of our time: how we remember and who we celebrate as statues.

The festival website gives information about the dynamic and engaging programme of talks, events and activities, from the School of Media, Arts and Humanities. You can also engage with the festival on Instagram and Twitter.

All events are free and, with the exception of Gary Younge, no booking is required. All events take place in the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts.

Tuesday 29 March

11.00-11.15 Welcome by Professor Kate O’Riordan

11.15-12:00 Ukraine: A Media, Arts and Humanities Conversation

12.15-13.00 Images Among Us: Research Inside ‘the Gram’

13.00-15.00 Hope and Fear: Cultures of Climate Change

15.15-16.00 The New Menopause

16.30-18.30 Independent Miss Craigie Film Screening and Q+A

18.30-20.00 Drinks in ACCA Bar (with music)

Wednesday 30 March

12.00-12.45 The White Pube

13.00-13.45 "We need to talk about" Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in the media

14.00-15.30 Black at Sussex: Activism, Curating, Archiving

16.00-17.30 Gary Younge – Not Set in Stone: Why we need more honesty and fewer statues (booking required via ACCA website)

17.30-19.00 Complimentary drinks in ACCA Bar (with music)

In addition to the two-day celebration, the Festival will also feature a curated programme of events hosted at venues across the region as part of the 2022 Brighton Festival in May.