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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Literature: Twentieth Century Irish Poetry

This course will examine Ireland鈥檚 unique contribution to twentieth century poetry in English. We will explore the work of two Nobel Prize winners, W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney, plus the work of Patrick Kavanagh, Louis MacNeice and Michael Longley. Additionally, we will refer in passing to poems by numerous other poets such as Paul Muldoon and Derek Mahon. We will analyse those elements which have contributed to Ireland鈥檚 distinctive contribution to world literature in the last 100 years, and discuss the relationship between a politically troubled history and creativity. There will be ample opportunities for discussion in what will be lively sessions.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 29/11/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00017458
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
2 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢74.00

Literature: 20th Century British Women's Short Stories

This course will range from the beginning of the twentieth century until its end, and explore the wealth of short stories written during this period by women. We will encounter the usual suspects such as Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Bowen and Doris Lessing, but the course will also assess the stories of less well-known writers, many of whom are worthy of much deeper study. These writers will emerge from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As all our texts are by women, we will discover the importance of these voices, often disappeared in a patriarchal society, and recognise how vital these women鈥檚 voices were and are.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 29/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00017460
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢74.00

Art Appreciation: The Century that changed the World-Renaissance and Reformation

A new way of seeing human beings and their environment; the end of the middle ages and the birth of modern Europe, the discovery of the 鈥楴ew World鈥; fresh insights into faith and the upheaval that created; and a new way of doing art. This study day investigates Renaissance art in Southern and Northern Europe and traces the birth and development of the Reformation. The art of Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and van Eyck and the thought of Luther and Calvin together with the reforms of Henry VIII all feature in this extensively illustrated study day.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 20/09/2024
Times:
10:00am - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
St Lawrence Parish Rooms (Winchester)
Colebrook Street
Winchester
SO23 9LH
Tutor:
David Brindley
Course code:
Q00016855
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢23.10

Film & Media: 5 Forgotten Classics from Ealing & Gainsborough

Exploring five arguably lesser known classics produced by British film studios Ealing and would be 鈥榬ivals鈥 Gainsborough, both stalwarts of 1940s and early 1950s cinema. Ealing Studios are still renown for their many now classic comedies produced throughout the 1940s and into the 50s but perhaps the repeated focus on the same films has lead to other equally remarkable classics from their own studio becoming overshadowed. Likewise, a repeated focus on Ealing Studios has perhaps stolen praise from other British studio of the era Gainsborough. This course aims to reinvestigate some of these 鈥榝orgotten鈥 classics.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 18/10/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
George Cromack
Course code:
Q00017778
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢37.00

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

Art Appreciation: How to See and Interpret Paintings

Have you ever wondered how to look at a painting and how to figure out what it means? This course will give you keys to develop your understanding and appreciation of paintings and their history. Based on the study of many concrete examples, taken from a variety of historical periods and styles, we will study all the aspects of a painting, from its format and technique, to its subject matter. As we do so, you will have many occasions to apply this knowledge and techniques for yourself.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 06/12/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00017464
How you'll learn:
Online
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to 拢88.00

Literature: Rebellion, Defiance and Breaking out

In this course we will be celebrating, criticising and discussing together writings which either portray rebellion and defiance, or which by their very style overturn the rules. From the most modern writers today such as Sarah Moss and Zoe Gilbert through to Shakespeare鈥檚 plays and back in time to legendary figures described by the earliest writers in English, questions arise around rebels, their actions 鈥 and how authors perceive them: what situations drive personal or political acts of rebellion? What is an author鈥檚 intention in presenting disobedience or unrest? How do writers portray to us the act of rebellion or the character of a rebel? Together, we shall be seeking answers.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 29/11/2024
Times:
1:30pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Newcastle Quaker Meeting House (Newcastl
West Avenue
Gosforth
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE3 4ES
Tutor:
Clare Jackson
Course code:
Q00018712
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
0 places remaining
Status:
Waiting list (Join waiting list)
Fee range
Free to 拢84.00

Literature: A Tour of Dante鈥檚 Inferno

Dante鈥檚 Inferno, one of the masterpieces of Western literature, is structured as a journey Dante takes through the different levels of Hell, observing the souls damned for various kinds of self-centred actions (sins) while alive, providing us with a series of insightful images and dramas, taking us deep into the psychological depths of humanity. The course takes us through the 34 cantos of Dante鈥檚 Inferno, progressing slowly so we can question, discuss and savour the literary features and the vision of human nature presented in the poem.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 25/10/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00019025
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
9 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢33.30

Creative Writing: Short story Workshop

Enhance your storytelling 台湾swag with our Short Story Workshop. Learn the art of crafting compelling short stories through practical exercises and expert guidance. Ideal for writers of all levels looking to refineIn this course students will explore the art of short story writing, focusing on the fundamental elements that make a compelling narrative. Through guided exercises, discussions and peer feedback, participants will learn how to develop characters, craft engaging plots, build vivid settings and experiment with narrative voice and structure. By the end of the course students will complete a polished short story, showing structure and plot effectively and gain practical 台湾swag for refining their storytelling craft. This is a friendly and supportive Writing Workshop where learners are able to receive feedback each week on the previous week's Homework writing assignment. their short fiction writing abilities.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 22/11/2024
Times:
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Len Pentin
Course code:
Q00016653
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Creative Writing: How to Write Contemporary Poems

On this course we will explore: 鈼 How the ghosts of metre and rhyme may exist in free verse, and how to achieve this 鈼 How rhythm is generated within free verse through sonic devices. 鈼 How rhythms of conversational speech are related to the rhythm of free verse, and how this produces a form of elevated speech. 鈼 Rhyme and Rhythm in traditional poetry. The course will explore one technique each week and concentrate on workshopping this via the development of a subject during each session. These sessions will be built from structured inspiration tasks, discussion and experimentation with ideas and languages.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 21/09/2024 -
Sat 19/10/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00017466
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
3 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢37.00

Art Appreciation: Vincent van Gogh and Nature

As the National Gallery stages an exhibition of van Gogh鈥檚 paintings in the Autumn, it is a good occasion to deepen our understanding of the Dutch master鈥檚 art. In this session, we will look at the central role and place given to the natural world in his paintings. In this session we will focus on a specific group of paintings, representing a variety of flowers, skies, fields, blossoming trees, and more. As we discover what meaning van Gogh imbued the natural world with, we will also look at the colours, lines, and brushwork.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 21/09/2024 -
Sat 21/09/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00018757
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to 拢8.40