About

Drama Finalist Performance Festival

The 9th annual Drama Finalist Performance Festival showcases original work by BA Drama students at the University of Sussex. These performances are not only the culmination of their work on the Independent Research Project: Practical—a final-year, dissertation-equivalent module—but also reflect the creative and critical skills they’ve developed over three or more years of study.

This year’s Festival features seven original works exploring themes such as grief, time and identity, through a diverse range of performance practices. From clowning and slapstick to duration-based and looped works, students have developed inventive and experimental responses to their research questions. Most performances run for around 30 minutes, while others consciously extend or repeat over time, inviting audiences to engage in smaller groupings or for longer periods. In such a diverse range of offerings, there’s something here for everyone.

We are proud to present these performances and grateful to staff in the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities, the Drama Department, and the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts for their ongoing support. Follow the links below to find out more about each project and to reserve your free ticket.

PROGRAMME

2 April, 1pm: Grief Stories
Drama Studio, Silverstone Building

2 April, 3pm: Objectified Objects
Creativity Zone, Pevensey II

3 April, 1pm: What a Wonderful Waste!
Creativity Zone, Pevensey II

3 April, 2pm: I am different now
Drama Studio, Silverstone Building

3 April, 3pm: The Vanishing Curtain
Workshop Studio, Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts

4 April, 12pm: Carnage over and over again
Workshop Studio, Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts

4 April, 2pm: Gag me with a Brecht-stick
Drama Studio, Silverstone Building

'Life after Drama': Sussex Drama graduates' talk & Q&A, plus free drinks
Thursday 3 April, 4pm-6pm
Join a fantastic group of Sussex Drama graduates from different cohorts (2022, 2019, 2016) to hear about how they’ve been navigating working in the arts and the wider creative industries. You’ll hear about what it’s like to work for arts organisations, to find work as a professional actor, to organise community-focused projects, or to go into further education. This is an unmissable opportunity to hear directly from our very own Drama graduates, and ask them questions about taking your next steps. Book your free place.