Learning about the world around us

Here at the WEA we offer a huge range of humanities and science courses, with something for everyone.  

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If you’re interested in the natural world, our geography and environment courses are the perfect choice. Our packed curriculum explores some of the biggest issues facing society, such as climate change and the fight against the destruction of some of Earth’s most precious resources. The option to learn in person or online means that our geography courses can whisk you away to a far-flung corner of the globe, all without you ever having to leave your own home. 

Studying a science

If you choose to take one of our psychology courses you’ll be immersed in the study of the human mind. With options to learn about memory and identity, you’ll get the chance to explore and debate some of the most famous psychological experiments.  

There’s also Sociology too, a subject that focuses on human behaviour, interaction, and relationships. If you’d like to explore some of the biggest questions in life, then our philosophy courses are for you. Small class sizes mean that you’ll get to discuss and debate in a supportive environment, all with an experienced tutor on hand.  

Attend a Humanities and Science course near you  

Whether you choose to learn from the comfort of your own home or opted for face-to-face learning at a local community venue, you’ll be taught by a talented tutor who is an expert in their subject. Our learning experience sets us apart from other providers, with learners regularly highlighting the difference that an encouraging environment makes. 

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This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

History: History of Writing

Explore the captivating journey of writing, from ancient petrographs and petroglyphs on rocks to cutting-edge electronic communication systems. This course invites both beginners and those with prior knowledge who share an interest in history and writing. Over six weeks, taught online, engage in presentations and discussions, with convenient access to materials even after each session.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 06/11/2024 -
Wed 11/12/2024
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Janet Wilson
Course code:
Q00009335
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £40.80

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

History: The Rural Wessex Landscape since 1500

The rural Wessex landscape since 1500 outlines the changes to the landscape of our region over the past 500 years, from the Dissolution of the Monasteries through the ‘Agricultural Revolution’, to the rise of modern agriculture and forestry. While the need to maintain food supply is paramount, the course will outline the impacts on both human society and on the loss of semi-natural habitats such as heathland, ancient woodland, and chalk grassland. There will be a case study of the New Forest that will explore the origins, management and habitats that are to be explored through the New Forest landscape.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 07/11/2024 -
Thu 07/11/2024
Times:
10:30am - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
St Lawrence Parish Rooms (Winchester)
Colebrook Street
Winchester
SO23 9LH
Tutor:
Hadrian Cook
Course code:
Q00017153
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £21.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

History: Queer History - An introduction

This short course will take you through a whistlestop tour of places ranging from Victorian Britain to ancient Greece to give a snapshot of just a few of the attitudes to sex, sexuality and gender that have existed across centuries and cultures. We will see how such issues relate to power, politics and religion and how they are affected by social change. You will be able to explore the lives and ideas of queer people in past centuries through diaries, newspaper reports and court records. Throughout the course, we will explore what it means to “queer” history – and how a queer approach to history can affect our attitudes today.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 11/11/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Symon Hill
Course code:
Q00017285
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

History: Nottingham's Inner Suburbs

Nottingham became a City in 1877. It was a hugely significant milestone in its development but how did the city’s growth impact surrounding areas, the Inner Suburbs? This course will explore how once green fields and tiny hamlets were transformed into industrial suburbs that grew into their own bustling communities, with distinctive characters and personalities. How did Forest Fields come into existence? What was the impact of the 20th century on Hyson Green? How did Radford evolve into an industrial community? What created these new communities and how do their landscapes reflect their histories?

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 13/11/2024 -
Wed 04/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
The Grange Community Centre (Radcliffe-o
Vicarage Lane
Radcliffe-on-Trent
NG12 2FB
Tutor:
Christopher Weir
Course code:
Q00016046
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

WEA Membership

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Carbon Literacy

Carbon Literacy is a term used to describe an awareness of climate change, and the climate impacts of humankind’s everyday actions. This course is designed specifically for charities and social enterprises working in public leisure and culture, and gives you the knowledge and tools available to take impactful climate action.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 14/11/2024 -
Thu 21/11/2024
Location:
Online
Course code:
Q00015296
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

History: Jesus as a Historical Figure: What can we know?

A chance to ask historical questions about the most famous individual in history. Did Jesus even exist? What historical sources do we have about him? Are the gospels reliable? What was Jesus’ attitude to the Roman Empire? Why was he crucified? On this introductory course, you will find out what historians say about Jesus – from the issues on which most scholars agree to those on which they are bitterly divided. You will have chance to apply historical scrutiny to some early texts about Jesus – including from the New Testament – and to draw your own conclusions about what we can know and whether it matters. This course is open to people of any religion and none.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 23/11/2024 -
Sat 23/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Reading International Solidarity Centre
35-39 London Street
Reading
RG1 4PS
Tutor:
Symon Hill
Course code:
Q00017286
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

History: ‘Happy Christmas’ – celebrating the big day through the ages

Join us to find out more about how people celebrated the ‘big day’ in the past. This course will explore the history of Christmas celebrations, focusing on three distinct periods: Medieval and Tudor Christmases, Victorian Christmases, and Christmas in the last 50 years. Learners will find out more about the cultural, social, and religious influences that have shaped Christmas traditions over the centuries. We will have a comprehensive look using documents, films and contemporary sources at how Christmas traditions have evolved over time, influenced by religious, cultural, social, and economic changes.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 28/11/2024 -
Thu 05/12/2024
Times:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kate Antoniou
Course code:
Q00017452
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

History: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

From work, play, education, games, birth, death, love and punishment - this course will explore the evidence for the daily life of individuals and the elite in ancient Egypt. We will look at the map of the region and follow the Nile down. We will explore Egyptian chronology, urban life, temples and pictures depicting the religious life of the people.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 29/11/2024 -
Fri 29/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
St Lawrence Parish Rooms (Winchester)
Colebrook Street
Winchester
SO23 9LH
Tutor:
John Billman
Course code:
Q00017610
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

History: The Egypt of Empire and Conquest - Ancient Egypt and Nubia

In a Study Day suitable for all we will consider how ancient Egypt treated a neighbour. Nubia is the area immediately to the south of ancient Egypt encompassing the south of Egypt today and much of modern Sudan. Nubia itself developed significant cultural entities especially the Kerma civilization and the later Napatan and Meroitic cultures. However much of the history of Nubia is inter-twined with ancient Egypt. The relationship between ancient Egypt and Nubia is a fascinating one and an ever-changing story. This day school explores the Nubian experience with Egypt from trade, through conquest, to the ‘Black Pharaohs’ of the Kushite period.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 04/12/2024 -
Wed 04/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Woodley Hill House (Reading)
Woodley Hill House
45 Eastcourt Avenue
Reading
RG6 1HH
Tutor:
John Billman
Course code:
Q00017283
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

History: The Economic History of Wessex since 1500

Wessex has an intricate history concerned with natural resource development of minerals, transport, agriculture, towns, and manufacture. Its character has been forged by the impact on the landscape of openness to neighbouring areas of Britain, and to the World at large. The region contrasts with other regions in terms of both the nature and pace of development.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 05/12/2024 -
Thu 05/12/2024
Times:
10:30am - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
St Lawrence Parish Rooms (Winchester)
Colebrook Street
Winchester
SO23 9LH
Tutor:
Hadrian Cook
Course code:
Q00017155
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £21.00