We are a research project exploring the politics of speaking and listening in education and public life.

Since 2020, Speaking Citizens has brought together teachers, social scientists and humanities researchers to broaden understanding of ‘oracy’ education.

We work with charities, school leaders, policymakers and exam boards to help ensure that oral communication skills are nurtured in a socially-conscious way.

We are funded by major grants from UK Research and Innovation and HEIF.

Speaking Citizens is run from the University of Sussex by cultural historian Tom F. Wright, who introduces our aims in the below video.

On this site you can read our publications, watch videos from our Uses of Oracy conference, check out our educational resources, and browse an archive of blogs from leading experts.

For an introduction to what this is all about, click on ‘findings’ above.