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’re 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’re 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 ̨Íåswag 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’d expect, literary greats such as Agatha Christie and Shakespeare feature regularly. There’s also the option to examine other time periods in English literature too, helping you develop your critical reading and analysis ̨Íåswag - perfect whether you’re a beginner or more experienced in the subject.  

If you prefer history then you’ve got a choice too, from courses on subjects you’d 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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Creative Writing: Structure & Point-of-View 

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on thinking about how point-of-view impacts on structure. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers. This course uses the same content as the Friday morning course, Creative Writing: Point-of-View, and the Thursday morning fortnightly course, Creative Writing: Point-of-View, therefore you need only enrol on to one of them.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 23/01/2025 -
Thu 03/04/2025
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00012327
How you'll learn:
Online
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Creative Writing: Story, Conflict, Plotting and Dialogue

This course will explore the fundamental elements of compelling storytelling, focusing on conflict, plotting and dialogue in drama. Through practical exercises and analysis, students will develop ̨Íåswag to craft engaging narratives, create dynamic characters, and construct intricate plots. A friendly but challenging class suitable for both new writers and more established writers. The course aims to make Learners better writers of drama via the acquisition of a more complete understanding of Story Structure, Effective dialogue and the role of conflict in storytelling. The Tutor has worked professionally as a Drama /Comedy Writer in both Theatre and Local BBC Radio.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 24/01/2025 -
Fri 04/04/2025
Location:
Online
Course code:
Q00019485
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Creative Writing: Wellbeing and Writing ̨Íåswag

Are you interested in creative writing as a tool for well being? We will explore creative writing as therapy or personal memoir as a tool for well being and developing writing ̨Íåswag, imagination and confidence and look at different ways of writing about life experience, memory, incidents and details that illustrate a narrative and how the use of imagination can often lead to the development of a story or poem.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 25/01/2025 -
Sat 25/01/2025
Times:
10:00am - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stella Stocker
Course code:
Q00018503
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £20.35

Art Appreciation: Mirrors and Reflections in Art

Mirrors are present in several masterpieces, such as Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, Velazquez’s Las Meninas and Manet’s Un Bar aux Folies-Bergères. In these, mirrors and the reflections they reveal are often enigmatic as they add another dimension to what we (think we) see and deepen the work’s meaning. In this session, we will look at the different ways in which mirrors and reflected images have been included in works of art. As we do so, we will investigate the symbolism of the mirror in Western art and culture.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 25/01/2025 -
Sat 25/01/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019169
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £8.40

WEA Membership

WEA membership is changing: more information is coming soon!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Creative Writing: Journaling for Writers: Taster Workshop

This course will introduce the learner to accessible and generative journaling exercises to explore their writer’s mindset and process and help them plan and think more deeply through expressive writing about their work in progress. Journaling can help with developing a positive mindset: to keep motivated after rejection; It can also help develop confidence as you free-write and keep up momentum rather than ponder and choose the right word. Journaling can also be used for planning and going deeper into your thoughts and ideas about your current piece of writing.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 05/02/2025 -
Wed 05/02/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 5:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Torode
Course code:
Q00019612
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10

Creative Writing: Creating Well Rounded Characters

What’s at the heart of any story? A well-rounded character! Discover ways to make your characters so engaging that the reader can’t put the story down. From expressing a range of emotions, contradictory behaviours, hidden desires, flaws and more. Learn how to create a character we care about, one the reader can root for. A multidimensional character is more lifelike and engaging for your reader. This workshop and course is intended for those who have some experience of writing.This course will introduce the learner to accessible and generative journaling exercises to explore their writer’s mindset and process and help them plan and think more deeply through expressive writing about their work in progress. Journaling can help with developing a positive mindset: to keep motivated after rejection; It can also help develop confidence as you free-write and keep up momentum rather than ponder and choose the right word. Journaling can also be used for planning and going deeper into your thoughts and ideas about your current piece of writing.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 05/02/2025 -
Wed 05/03/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Torode
Course code:
Q00019788
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

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

Explore the complex history of art destruction with our Art Appreciation: The Destruction of Art by Artists, Institutions, and Conflicts course. Learn about the motivations, impacts, and ethical considerations of art destruction throughout history. Ideal for art enthusiasts and anyone interested in the intersection of art, history, and ethics.

Course Information

Dates:
Sun 09/02/2025 -
Sun 16/03/2025
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00017713
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00

Art Appreciation: Painting in the later 20th Century.

This course views painting produced in the twentieth century. The course will include developments of figurative and abstract painting. There will be views of artists already prominent in the early twentieth century and artists who set out after 1945 from a wide range of attentions. From those born in the nineteenth century to those born in the 1960s. The course will attend to direct visual experience of reproduction of the works involved linked to elements of comprehension and understanding through a considerable range of exciting encounters and engagements. There are no requirements from students prior the beginning of the course. Students would benefit from access to online sources during the course. Papers and images will be made available to students through the WEA Canvas site. You will need to have access to the internet to access the papers for this course. The course uses a secure digital learning portal for all the classes and for communications with the tutor and access to learning materials.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 11/02/2025 -
Tue 01/04/2025
Times:
11:15am - 1:15pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Allen Fisher
Course code:
Q00016588
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
9 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £59.20

Creative Writing: Journalling for Writers

This course will introduce the learner to accessible and generative journaling exercises to explore their writer’s mindset and process and help them plan and think more deeply through expressive writing about their work in progress. Journaling can help with developing a positive mindset: to keep motivated after rejection; It can also help develop confidence as you free-write and keep up momentum rather than ponder and choose the right word. Journaling can also be used for planning and going deeper into your thoughts and ideas about your current piece of writing. This course is funded by the Education ̨Íåswag and Funding Agency.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 12/02/2025 -
Wed 12/03/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Torode
Course code:
Q00019787
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Art Appreciation: Women Artists in Victorian London

Over the last twenty years, research and exhibitions have brought to our attention a great number of Victorian women artists. From Emily Mary Osborn and Lady Butler (aka Elizabeth Thompson) to Evelyn De Morgan, 19th century London did not lack great women artists. They lived in a society that globally remained hostile to independent career women. We will see how they trained, what they painted and his which style, and how they balanced the pressure of social norms and their personal ambition.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 18/02/2025 -
Tue 18/02/2025
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019201
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
6 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10