End of an Era

Free University Brighton to close its doors – the work of archiving begins.

Dear friends, students, tutors and supporters.

Over the last dozen years Free University Brighton has provided sustained and high level free education for the people of Brighton and Hove (and occasionally from wider afield!).  We’ve run hundreds of classes, had thousands of people involved and met many wonderful friends.  However we have reached a point where things have changed and the energy and time of volunteers has declined to the point where it is no longer viable for us to put on classes.  As such we are formally announcing that the Free University Brighton is closing its doors for the foreseeable future.

We plan to spend the next year or so archiving the project and making a record of the work of the community.  We will also be reaching out to other free education projects to open a conversation about the future of alternative education projects in the UK and abroad, in the hope that the work of FUB can, at the very least, offer some lessons and resources for an ongoing alternative education movement. If any of you would like to be involved in this work, please reach out to us.

We are, of course, open to a process of renewal if there is suddenly a renewed energy and enthusiasm for the project, although the sustained, ongoing organising work that has been the backbone of FUB takes a considerable commitment and is not to be taken lightly.

In the meantime we would love to hear your stories and memories of the project as part of the ongoing archival work.  We’d be keen to hear and talk to anyone who has been involved – or would like to be involved – in the work of FUB and alternative education more widely.

With Love and Hope

Free University Brighton