Love to learn with the WEA

Our languages and culture courses span the length and breadth of England and Scotland, with the option to study online or in person at a time that suits you. Whether you鈥檙e looking to learn a new language and immerse yourself in another country, or you simply wish to indulge in your love and fascination of film, we have the course for you. 

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Our creative writing courses will nourish your inner writer, providing you with a platform to develop your love of poetry, non-fiction or script development. If literature courses are more your kind of thing, then you鈥檙e in luck too, as there are a wide range of topics to choose from.  

Literary greats and great periods in history

Our language courses offer you the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in a completely new culture, developing your 台湾swag so that you can speak confidently in countries right across the world. German, Italian and Greek are just a few examples of the language courses we have to offer, with many others taking place throughout the year.  

As you鈥檇 expect, literary greats such as Agatha Christie and Shakespeare feature regularly. There鈥檚 also the option to examine other time periods in English literature too, helping you develop your critical reading and analysis 台湾swag - perfect whether you鈥檙e a beginner or more experienced in the subject.  

If you prefer history then you鈥檝e got a choice too, from courses on subjects you鈥檇 expect such as the first world war, or art history and studying the works of iconic painters such as Salvador Dali. 

Support and guidance

Whatever course you choose, you'll learn in a supportive environment where the class sizes are small, ensuring you get the attention you deserve, with an experienced and qualified tutor on-hand to guide you through your learning too.  

A lot of our cultural learning is delivered by our branch network: learn more here.

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Art Appreciation: The Destruction of Art by artists, institutions, and conflicts

This course explores the destruction of art which has been going on for centuries whether through natural disasters, censorship, political ideology, war, and conflicts. Artists have been destroying their work out of jealousy or frustration to save their reputations or their legacies for generations. Contemporary artists even destroy art as part of their artistic practices, installations, or performances. Whilst activists are prepared to vandalise artworks to get their voices heard on issues they are passionate about. And governments waging wars deliberate target artworks to destroy the enemy鈥檚 culture. Are artworks destined to be destroyed whether through practice, protest, or conflict?

Course Information

Dates:
Sun 08/12/2024 -
Sun 08/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00017293
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢11.10

Art Appreciation: Art of Christmas - Christmas images and how artists interpret the Christmas story

The Christmas story has probably inspired more art than any other subject. From medieval icons of the Virgin and Child to the Renaissance paintings of the shepherds and the wise men; and from stained glass windows to Christmas cards, the story has been at the forefront of western art. This study day will examine the historicity of the gospel stories and how they have been interpreted by artists through the centuries. A wide range of art will be shown and there will be space for discussion and for learners to offer their own suggestions and experiences.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 12/12/2024 -
Thu 12/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
St Lawrence Parish Rooms (Winchester)
Colebrook Street
Winchester
SO23 9LH
Tutor:
David Brindley
Course code:
Q00016856
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢23.10

Art Appreciation: Local Artists Part 4

This 5 week course delves into the works of five local artists, featuring Robert J. Clitherow, Peter Coker, Henry Collins, Hugh Verschoyle Cronyn and Charles Debenham. Each week explores key art concepts including, colour and composition through samples of their work. You will engage in group discussions, take notes and recall information. By the end of the course, you will be able to notice significant local artists, describe their artistic methods, spot similarities and differences among local artists, deconstruct essential components of artworks and select a preferred piece based on personal opinion

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 13/12/2024 -
Fri 24/01/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Castle Methodist Church (Colchester)
Maidenburgh Street
Colchester
CO1 1TT
Tutor:
Abbie Cairns
Course code:
Q00017690
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢33.60

Literature: Victorian Literature Through the Decades - The 1840s

During this course we will consider a wide range of novels that were pubished in the 1840s as a continuation of an exploration of literature published through the decades of Victoria鈥檚 long reign. We will consider a range of novels by both male and female writers: Barnaby Rudge (Charles Dickens 1841); The Luck of Barry Lyndon (W M Thackeray, 1844); Sybil (Benjamin Disraeli, 1845); Agnes Grey (Anne Bront茅, 1847); Shirley (Charlotte Bront茅, 1849). The 1840s were a prosperous time for many but but this decade was also known as the Hungry Forties. The 1840s also saw the growth of the realist novel.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 07/01/2025 -
Tue 01/04/2025
Times:
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
13 sessions
Location:
Exeter Community Centre (Exeter)
17 St. Davids Hill
Exeter
EX4 3RG
Tutor:
Greta Depledge
Course code:
Q00016886
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢100.80

WEA Membership

For just 拢15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members鈥 annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
拢15

Music Appreciation: The Music of the Parisian Belle Epoque: The Innovations of the French Composers

Paris between 1870 and 1925, in the period known as La Belle Epoque, saw an outburst of artistic creativity in which music played a major role. Composers such as Bizet, Debussy, Ravel and Satie produced innovations which advanced western musical development by overturning Wagner and re-writing the rule book on harmony and form. After a lull since its Romantic hey-day in the 1830s, Paris was once again the centre of the musical world. The city was now a melting pot for artistic endeavour, transforming influences from Russia, Spain, the Far East and the USA into music which became uniquely and elegantly French. In this course, we trace a period, book-ended by two devastating wars, through its achievements in verismo opera, 鈥渢otal art鈥 ballet, impressionism, avant-garde and jazz.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 07/01/2025 -
Tue 11/02/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Storton Lodge (Goring)
Icknield Road
Goring-on-Thames
Goring
RG8 0DL
Tutor:
Christopher Carter
Course code:
Q00017603
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢60.00

Beginners Spanish

Want to take on a new challenge and learn a new language? Like to holiday in Spain or Spanish speaking countries or just want a new hobby, then this is the course for you. This is the introductory course which will run for 6 weeks, if you would like to carry on with your classes then the full 12 week course will be following this one. The course will be run by a fully qualified tutor who has experience teaching Spanish online. The course will be 6 weeks long to give you enough time to enjoy your taster and get ready for the full course that follows. Start your journey to speaking Spanish today!

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 07/01/2025 -
Tue 11/02/2025
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Andrea Ostapski
Course code:
Q00019150
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢44.40

Creative Writing: Body and Earth

This friendly creative writing course will invite you to enter into relationship with your bodies and surroundings. The session will be held in a supportive way and will integrate some simple meditation (adaptable to all bodies), prompts for creative and reflective expression through writing, and even some environmental science! You will be guided to a holistic understanding of person and place. This course is ideal for people who like to write and to contemplate how to live more skilfully as individuals, as a community and in relationship with their surroundings. There will be time for sharing small parts of your writing towards the end of the workshop but no pressure, it鈥檚 about an unfolding individual/shared creative process and participants need to feel at ease to write freely.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 07/01/2025 -
Tue 18/03/2025
Times:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Ione Harris
Course code:
Q00019161
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢74.00

Art Appreciation: Vincent van Gogh 鈥 A short career of enormous significance

In this course, we will focus on an extraordinary artist, well-loved from today鈥檚 public: Vincent van Gogh. You will learn about his Dutch origins, his interests and friendships while in Paris, the dreams he nurtured in Arles, and, his last months in Auvers-sur-Oise. As we study the main phases in his life, we will study key examples of his paintings and drawings to better understand his artistic identity. What was the purpose of painting for him? Why did he paint with bright colours and thick brushstrokes? We will seek to understand van Gogh鈥檚 art not simply in light of his own mindset, but also in light of the wider cultural context he was part of.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 07/01/2025 -
Tue 28/01/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019205
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢29.60

British Novels in the 70s and 80s (Part 2)

This course will consider and analyse the following authors and their texts. These are: Strange Meeting - Susan Hill. So Long Hector Bebb - Ron Berry. Flaubert鈥檚 Parrot - Julian Barnes. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro. Innocence - Penelope Fitzgerald. These texts will provide a window into the different regions of Britain during two decades of major change in the social fabric and political nature of Britain, though several of our texts will trace these changes back to the earlier part of the twentieth century, and in doing so, we will encounter themes of identity, class and the decline of Empire. There will be much to prompt discussion and challenge our assumptions.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 08/01/2025 -
Wed 19/03/2025
Times:
2:15pm - 4:15pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Rose House (London)
70 Barnes High Street
London
SW13 9LD
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00017376
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢100.00

British Literature 1980 - 2011 (Part 2)

On this course we will examine the following novels: On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell (2004) Day - A.L. Kennedy. Affinity - Sarah Waters. The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes. These texts will take us inside contemporary British fiction, and earmark those authors who have contributed to the evolution of a distinctive voice in British fiction in the last fifty years, from the years of Thatcher, New Labour to the present. We will explore each writers鈥 techniques and themes, and how they address the themes of British identity. Discussions will be lively with plenty of opportunities to voice your opinions.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 08/01/2025 -
Wed 19/03/2025
Location:
Friends Meeting House (Sutton)
10 Cedar Road
Sutton
SM2 5DA
Course code:
Q00017594
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢100.00