Brighton Digital Festival runs on an open-programme model, meaning anyone can independently organise an event and submit it to the festival programme.

Whether you want to organise a hackathon, a dance performance, a conference or an open studio, as long as your event provides meaningful engagement with digital culture, you’re good to go.

This open-programme of independent events is augmented by an arts and education strand programmed by the festival team through open calls and curated commissions.

View a gallery of past events examples below:

This year Brighton Digital Festival is happening from 29 October till 7 November 2021. If you would like to include your event or experience in Brighton Digital Festival, we ask you to consider the following things, and upload your event by Sunday 5 September 2021.

Project merit (project meets at least three):

• Challenges the dominant digital culture norms;
• Contributes to community identity and sense of place;
• Demonstrates creativity and innovation;
• Strengthens partnerships;
• Helps to define Brighton & Hove and surrounding areas as a region with a rich and diverse digital arts scene;
• Delivers a high-quality event for a public outcome.

Community involvement (project meets at least one):

• Provides an opportunity for collaboration with under-represented community groups;
• Engages in partnerships and creative collaborations with community/local organisations;
• Demonstrates new and dynamic ways of engaging the local community.

Accessibility, safety and potentially sensitive content (project must meet all):

• A safe atmosphere for participants;
• Legal rights to operate and rent the venue;
• Accessibility measures;
• Covid-19 safety measures;
• Sensitive content disclosure – things that your audiences may need to know at the time of booking;
• Minimal environmental impact.

Full criteria and information can be accessed via Brighton Digital Festival website here.

If you wish to submit a project for BDF community programme, please follow these steps:

1️⃣ Go to brightondigitalfestival.org.uk/get-in-touch.

2️⃣ Click on ‘Submissions’, which will open up a new email with a form.

3️⃣ Please fill in this form to express your interest in creating a project for the festival and send it off before 5 September 2021.

4️⃣ Once we have read your form, you'll receive a special login for BDF website to submit & advertise your event.

Don't forget to make sure your event matches our essential criteria! We are here to help if you have any questions, please email marta@lighthouse.org.uk.

The website listing is free of charge.

Brighton Digital Festival is directed by Lighthouse and Wired Sussex, with support from Arts Council England. BDF will continue to be supported by Brighton-based digital consumer intelligence platform Brandwatch. Brandwatch has been a key sponsor in the festival’s history supporting more than 30 commissions and projects through the years.

Digital Democracies is the first commissioning consortium of its kind in the UK, supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Threshold Studios, Freedom Festival Arts Trust and Lighthouse through their partners and funders.