The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode 21:

Why Brighton’s Nightlife Matters For All Of Sussex

Host: Richard Freeman
Guest: Nick Connaughton – Co-CEO & Executive Director, The Old Market (TOM)

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🔍 Episode summary

Richard sits down with Nick Connaughton, the Australian-born co-director of The Old Market in Hove, to explore the realities of running an independent cultural venue at a time of financial pressure, rapid change, and new opportunities.

Nick talks about The Old Market’s history – from 19th century trading space to equestrian school, to an arts hub rescued by the creators of Stomp. Today, TOM thrives on “performance at the messy edges”: projects that blur music, theatre, technology and community.

This episode explores how Sussex’s creative sector could tell a bigger regional story under devolution – and whether Brighton’s nightlife and cultural ecosystem can survive without a bold, joined-up strategy that connects with the wider Sussex story.

 

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

Galloways Accounting, Sussex’s largest independent accountancy practice. With six offices from Worthing to Brighton to Eastbourne to Uckfield, they combine deep local knowledge with cutting-edge cloud accounting tools.

They support family businesses, charities, tech start-ups and professional practices - helping clients streamline finances, manage cash flow and plan for growth.

Their specialist teams in R&D tax credits, payroll and succession planning keep Sussex enterprises competitive and compliant.

To see how Galloways powers smarter financial decisions across our county, visit wearegalloways.com

 

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🎯 Why this matters

“I wonder whether I had slightly rose-tinted glasses… because I think in my head, if Brighton and Sussex have it sorted, there’s great arts institutions, great venues, great cultural organisations, an abundance of NPOs. They must be really well networked, connected together, and everything must flow really perfectly between them all. But I guess a lot of what I’ve come to realise… is that there is a lack of resource, there are very small teams, there is competition over audiences, competition over artists.”

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🧠 Topics covered include:

• The Old Market’s transformation into an independent charity and its “messy edges” programming

• Brighton and Sussex as cultural ecosystems – are venues working together or competing for scraps?

• Why devolution could reset the relationship between councils, venues and artists

• Technology, wellbeing and live performance – where TOM’s #TomTech programme is heading next

• The case for a night-time economy strategy (and maybe a Sussex 'nighttime economy tzar')

• Why venues shouldn’t try to be everything to everyone

• The need for bold vision alongside basic survival

“It’s trying to get back to, I think, what does a cultural ecosystem look like? Even looking at the example of a forest canopy: you need those really tall trees up there, but sometimes if they get too tall, they do block out a lot of the light underneath. And then, similarly, if you get too thick a mid-growth or an undergrowth, then everything starts to die out. So it’s trying to think quite clearly about, what is our role in that ecosystem?”

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📚 Further reading and references

• The Old Market, Hove
• Arts Council England – Place strategies
• UK Music – This Is Music 2024 Report

 

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🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman
Guest: Nic Connaughton
Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey
Production management: Letitia McConalogue
Recorded: Projects, The Lanes - Brighton

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📣 Get involved

Want a joined-up Sussex story? Want to help shape devolution so it actually works for people and places? 👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events.