Upcoming events.
Working As A Woman In Politics
Jess Brown-Fuller, is Liberal Democrat politician. Since 2024, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Chichester; she is the first non-Conservative MP for the constituency since 1924.
Jess is the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on justice policy and she will be talking about her experiences as a woman working in politics.
Women of the ATA: The Forgotten Pilots of WWII
Kevin O'Regan is a Chichester-based author, former teacher and working musician. He writes the four-book Lizzie's War series — classic murder mysteries featuring a young ATA pilot — and his in-depth research for the novels has made him a knowledgeable and engaging speaker on the subject.
ChichestHER: Their Story, Our Inspiration
Opening October 2026 at The Novium Museum in Chichester, this major exhibition—funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund—celebrates the lives and achievements of women in the city’s history.
From suffragists and educators to artists, medics and politicians, ChichestHER will explore the rich and varied impact of women on life in our district.
Nordic Women Artists and the Modern Breakthrough
James Vaux spent his career in international banking, latterly managing Rothschild's Nordic operations from Stockholm. Fascinated by the region's culture, he completed an MA in Scandinavian Studies at University College London and is now a seasoned speaker with over 100 lectures to his name. He is Chairman of the Oxford University Society West Sussex.
Louisa Maria Hubbard: Championing the Right of Women to Work
Sandra Lowton is a local historian and former teacher. Drawing on Louisa M. Hubbard's memoir and information from her family, this talk explores the influences on a rich, intelligent woman who had no reason to work herself — but who championed the right and the needs of others who did.
Bringing Madge Turner to Life: A Storyteller’s Journey
Danyah is an international, award-winning storyteller, trainer and author of Seven Secrets of Spontaneous Storytelling. As Artistic Director of DMS Productions, she has produced, co-written and performed in seven solo shows, touring extensively across the UK, including three summer seasons in London's West End. Her latest show, The Mystery of... Show, won Best Family Arts Activity at the 2025 Fantastic for Families Awards.
Charlotte Turner Smith (1749-1806): a Sussex poet and novelist
Dr Susan Thomas is a member of the Chichester Women’s History Research Group, helping to uncover the stories of women in the local area. She was previously based at the University of Birmingham, where her research centred on the history of local nineteenth-century radicalism and on exploring lesser-known lives.
Women of Courage
Sheryl Green is a local historian who researches, prepares and delivers talks on WW2 Special Duties pilots and the Allied Intelligence Services. Also on men and women of the SOE and SIS.
She launched her website, Courage In Disguise, in 2022, which explores this further.
Evelyn Dunbar: A Life In Art
Dr Gill Clarke is a writer, curator and former academic who has published widely on twentieth century British art. Her books include Evelyn Dunbar: War and Country and Conflicting Views: Pacifist Artists, and she has curated exhibitions at galleries including Pallant House Gallery, Chichester.
The Acceptable Face of Feminism: The Early WI Movement
Prof Maggie Andrews is a cultural historian whose work covers the social and cultural history of twentieth century Britain and the representation of that history within popular culture. Her most recent work explores domesticity and the Home Front in World War One and Two.
TOTEM: The Untold Story of Sculpture
Jo Baring is Director of the Ingram Collection of Modern British & Contemporary Art, and in 2016 established the Ingram Prize, whose alumni have gone on to Turner Prize nominations and acquisitions by the Tate and Government Art Collection. In 2023, she was elected Frankland Visitor to Brasenose College, Oxford.
Women in Tudor and Stuart Chichester: The Evidence in the Wills
James McInnes is a former teacher who now devotes much of his time to historical research, with a particular interest in what documents can reveal about the 'plaine country fellow'. He has published numerous articles on local history, and his transcriptions of the Tudor and Stuart wills of Chichester are available online at the Sussex Record Society's website.
Women Writers’ Fest 2026
It all begins with an idea. As part of the Festival of Chichester 2026, we are delighted to present the Women Writers’ Fest.
A celebration of brilliant women writers from Sussex and beyond. Join us for a full day of inspiring talks, with a chance to meet the authors and purchase signed copies of their books courtesy of Waterstones.
Silent Women: Female Directors Who Were Pioneers of Cinema
Ellen Cheshire is a film historian, writer and researcher who regularly speaks at Chichester Cinema and other venues.
She contributed a chapter to Silent Women: Pioneers of Cinema, published by Aurora Metro — the press that also campaigned for and funded the statue of Virginia Woolf in Richmond.
Women of Courage
Sheryl Green is a local historian who researches, prepares and delivers talks on WW2 Special Duties pilots and the Allied Intelligence Services. Also on men and women of the SOE and SIS.
She launched her website, Courage In Disguise, in 2022, which explores this further.
Women and Evacuation
Prof Maggie Andrews is a cultural historian whose work covers the social and cultural history of twentieth century Britain and the representation of that history within popular culture. Her most recent work explores domesticity and the Home Front in World War One and Two.
Lady Writers as Spies
Claire Smith explores their wartime intelligence work of Barbara Pym and Muriel Spark and how those experiences went on to shape their fiction.
