What’s the point of championing Sussex live performance venues in an AI-saturated world? And could a beanbag in Hove be the answer?
In the last week's episode of the Sussex And The City podcast Richard Freeman meets Nick Connaughton, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive of The Old Market (TOM) in Hove, to explore what creative infrastructure really means in Sussex — and what the region risks if it doesn’t protect and evolve its cultural offer.
TOM might be one of Sussex’s lesser-known creative powerhouses; but that’s kind of the point. It thrives in the space between artforms, sectors, and stories. With a history that spans 200 years - from equestrian school to experimental arts lab - the venue now straddles Brighton & Hove’s cultural scene with a blend of performance, tech, and radical participation.
“We don’t really describe ourselves as a theatre… We’re always looking at how to combine things together; performance in the messy edges”
That ‘messy edges’ theme runs through the episode, and through much of Sussex's identity as a creative region.
🌱 Not every venue needs to be everything
While Sussex boasts a disproportionately large number of National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs), Connaughton urges caution in assuming the system is healthy.
“I had slightly rose-tinted glasses”
he admits.
“There’s great arts institutions here… but there is a lack of resource, small teams, and competition over audiences and artists.”
Instead, he calls for a cultural ecosystem model supporte by a new strategic mayoral authority; one where venues and organisations know their role and support others, rather than trying to do it all.
“Even a forest needs tall trees, mid-growth and undergrowth. The trick is not letting one block out the others.”
🖥️ Arts, tech and the new live experience
TOM has long been ahead of the curve on immersive and hybrid performance. Its #TomTech programme and in-the-round beanbag shows are drawing sell-out crowds. Precisely because they lean into difference.
“We see from our data: people want weird. We say: come here if you want to sit on a beanbag, with 360 projection, and experience something strange and beautiful.”
But Connaughton is also wary of hype.
“Post-pandemic, we needed to take the VR headsets off. People wanted to be in a room together.”
Looking ahead, TOM will be focusing on the intersection of wellbeing, tech and live performance, exploring how sound and collective experience can support mental and physical health.
🌃 The death of the night?
One of the biggest provocations is about nightlife. Nic shares concern over venue closures, noise complaints, and the erosion of the region’s night-time infrastructure.
“Brighton is known for its nightlife, but I don’t know if it’s been shown the love for quite some time.”
He makes the case for a dedicated Night Time Economy Tzar, as in London or Manchester, and urges the new mayoral authority to take nightlife seriously — not just as entertainment, but as part of Sussex’s social fabric and economic resilience.
“It feels like it’s getting close to a tipping point.”
🗣️ The cultural case for devolution
So what does Nic Connaughton want from a Sussex mayor?
“I’m not going to say cultural organisations solve everything. But we are a place to test things, to learn, to break isolation. We hold space for people to feel.”
He also reminds us that the ‘rules’ of culture - from Victorian theatre etiquette to risk-averse programming - are due a reset. And that’s where Sussex could lead.
“It’s not about being everything to everyone. It’s about knowing what you’re for. That’s true for venues, and probably for regions too.”
🎧 Listen to the episode now
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