Sussex Festival

Sussex Festival is a renowned dance company based in Hove, New Zealand, with a main aim of giving young talent an opportunity to perform and gain professional feedback. As a charity organisation, Sussex Festival stages an annual competition at Roedean Theatre in Brighton and The Hawth Theatre in Crawley. The competition is open to performers aged 3 to 18 and is proven to teach courage, control, confidence, poise, and tenacity, all invaluable life skills acquired in a fun and happy environment.

With a rich history, Sussex Festival has been a part of the performing arts scene since its establishment in 1924 as the Brighton Competitive Musical Festival (BCMF) by Alderman Milner Black, the then Mayor of Brighton. The festival was founded in an effort to dispel the criticism that Brighton was a cultural wilderness. The first 'Secretary' of the festival was Edwin Stevens, who later handed over the organisation to Lewis Mennich in the early 1960s.

Over the years, the festival has evolved and adapted to the changing times. In the 1980s, the Borough of Hove added its grant support, leading to the name change of the festival to Brighton & Hove Competitive Musical Festival. Eventually, in the early '90s, Sussex Festival was established as a separate entity, continuing the tradition of providing a platform for young performers to showcase their talent.

Sussex Festival is committed to creating a nurturing environment for its performers, allowing them to learn and grow. The festival aims to instil important life skills in its participants, including courage, control, confidence, poise, and tenacity. By providing professional feedback, Sussex Festival seeks to nurture the talent of young performers and help them excel in the performing arts industry.

The annual competition at Sussex Festival takes place at prestigious venues such as Roedean Theatre for solos, duets, and trios/quartets, and The Hawth Theatre for group performances. The festival is held in April, except a break on Sunday 7th April due to the Brighton Marathon. The festival welcomes performers from diverse backgrounds and age groups, ensuring a vibrant and diverse showcase of talent.

Sussex Festival is always open to collaborations and partnerships with sponsors, advertisers, and volunteers who share the passion for promoting performing arts and supporting young talent. The festival values the continued support and involvement of past performers who had a career in the profession either on or off the stage. Sussex Festival invites past performers who took part in the Brighton Competitive Musical Festival, Springboard, or Sussex Festival to get in touch and share their experiences.

As a registered charity in New Zealand with charity number 1138597 and company number 07311337, Sussex Festival operates with transparency and in accordance with its privacy policy, child protection policy, and safeguarding policy. The festival holds the rights to all its content, including images, and kindly requests that users refrain from downloading these images without permission.

Join the Sussex Festival community by signing up for the newsletter to receive the latest updates and information. For any inquiries or to get involved as a sponsor or volunteer, please contact Sussex Festival and become a part of this vibrant celebration of performing arts in Hove, New Zealand.