This edition of Experience Sussex! is being sent to all taught students.

Make the most of your time at university | 18 November 2025

Landing in your inbox every other Monday during term time, Experience Sussex! is your student magazine.

As we wrap up the final edition of Experience Sussex! before the winter break, campus is alive with events, energy, and end-of-term excitement and you can be part of it. 

There is still plenty to enjoy before the holidays begin. If you love social media, whether you shine in front of the camera or are a pro at being behind the scenes, apply to be a paid Digital Media Creator (DMC).

Watch Former DMC Taylor explore Christmas in Brighton. See their video to get an idea of how our city lights up during the festive season.

If you have not done so yet, there is still time for you to apply to the Santander Brighter Futures scheme and be in with a chance of winning £1000!

Join the festive lighting of the Christmas tree or catch a live gig at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. Whether you are here for the music, the magic, or the mince pies, there is something to lift your spirits.

Read on to explore the delights of winter at Sussex. The festive season starts now and you are invited.

Festive learning with the Sussex Christmas Lecture 

Join Dr Eva-Maria Mueller on Wednesday 10 December for a free, family-friendly lecture full of wonder and discovery. You will be guided on a journey from the fiery beginnings of the Universe to the mysterious forces shaping its future. Stunning visuals, big ideas, and a sense of wonder await you, perfect for all ages. Find out more.

Have a laugh at Eat Central 

For one night only, Eat Central transforms into a full-scale professional comedy club! Brighton is known for it's vibrant live comedy scene and now the action is coming straight to you!

The evening is curated by Grinstock Comedy, the award-winning team behind 16 seasons of sell out shows across the South East. Twice nominated by Dave TV and Absolute Radio for Comedy Club of the South. Come and enjoy a range of fantastic professional comedians. Find out more. 

Help shape the Food and Nature Hub!

Join us on Wednesday 26 November at 1.30pm to 3pm for a creative co-design session to help shape the Food & Nature Hub. This is a space connecting people with food, nature, community, and innovation. We will build on ideas from the last co-design event to explore what the Hub could look like, what it should do and how it can support our campus community. Maybe the best part of all, free food will be provided!

Apply to be a Digital Media Creator 

Do you love making content? We need your help! Want to get paid to create videos and stories for Sussex’s social channels?

We are looking for current students to join our Digital Media Creator team. You will cover events, pitch ideas, and share student life through video. Past events have included interviewing MPs, Brighton Pride, Sussex Awards and more. Find out more and apply. 

A bright future with Santander

The University of Sussex, in partnership with Santander Universities, is offering 10 grants of £1,000 each to current Sussex students. These grants are designed to support students with the costs of university life, including study resources, accommodation, bills, or career development. The Brighter Futures Grants are open to all Sussex students, undergraduate, postgraduate, full-time, and part-time. You do not need to be a Santander customer to apply. Find out more. 

Festive happenings on campus and beyond

If you are staying on campus during the break, there is still so much to do and lots of exciting connections to be made both on and off campus! Check out the events from the ResLife team, including a Holiday Favourites Movie Night, on Saturday 6 December. A Festive Crafts event, on 13 December and Board Games on Saturday 20 December. Also the ResLife Lounge continues throughout the month on Mondays and Wednesdays.

If you want to venture into Brighton & Hove, there are lots of activities, including ice-skating at the iconic Brighton Pavilion. Discover a full list at Visit Brighton. 

Sussex regularly features in local, national and international media showcasing our research, student and staff achievements, and the University’s far-reaching impact

Sussex offers scholarships to Palestinian student

Following media team activity, BBC Radio Sussex reported that a University of Sussex programme will offer four new fully funded master’s scholarships for Palestinian students, in addition to the two students from Gaza who have already started their courses this year. The initiative is part of Sussex’ “Scholarships for Palestine” scheme.

Video podcasts become next streaming battleground 
Major streaming platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Spotify are increasingly investing in video-podcast formats to capture younger audiences and the growing ad-spender interest in long-form audio-visual content. Professor Martin Spinelli (Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities) described this shift as “a new chapter for podcasting” that independent creators may benefit from significantly.

• Finding the perfect study spot. Written by Lou Bruce. 
  

• Lighting the Sussex Christmas tree! (Tuesday 2 December 4.30pm to 6pm, Library Square) Join Sussex students and staff for a special event to light this year's Christmas tree in Library Square. 
  

• Tune-Yards (Friday 21 November, 8pm, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts). Explosive performances, danceable rhythms and surprising song structures from this California based electro-pop duo. 

• Candlelight and Carols (Monday 8 December 6.30pm, Meeting House). Join students and staff for traditional festive carols by candlelight.  

We are a diverse community and have students and staff from over 170 countries. 

What would you like to see?

Experience Sussex! is here to help you make the most of your time as a student. Let us know what you would like to see more of by emailing: internalcomms@sussex.ac.uk.