TIMINGS
Doors: 17:30
Starts: 17:50
Seated (unreserved)
Tickets: £20
Plus £2 venue levy
Age: 14+, under 16s must be accompanied by an adult
Presented by Brighton & Hove Speakers Festival
Click here to view all Brighton & Hove Speakers Festival events
Rachel Millward's path into politics is anything but conventional. Before standing for election, she built an award-winning career in the creative industries — founding and directing a successful international film festival and a national charity supporting women filmmakers.
In this session, she talks about that journey: the leap from the arts world into local government, what it feels like to lead a council for the first time, and how creative-sector instincts around storytelling, community and collaboration have shaped her approach to public life.
Since 2021 Rachel has served as Wealden District Councillor for Hartfield, and since 2023 as co-leader of the council (and she is now Co-Deputy of the Green Party)— giving her first-hand experience of the practical realities of local government: housing pressures, environmental challenges, and the daily work of improving a community's wellbeing. She'll share candid reflections on what surprised her about political life, the compromises of coalition leadership, and the gap between political ideals and the messier business of delivering change.
A familiar voice on BBC Politics, ITV, LBC and Times Radio, Rachel brings a thoughtful, personal perspective on public service, leadership, and what drew a career creative into frontline politics. A Q&A session will follow.