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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History: Discovering Ukraine Through Its Culture

This is an introductory course to the country of Ukraine through its Arts, Literature, and Music, led by the experienced university lecturer, who used to visit Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the world has admired the Ukrainian people, wondering what the sources of their valour and resilience are. This course will help you understand Ukraine and its people, put their culture in a historical perspective and provide some background to the current conflict in the region. The course is suitable for people of all abilities.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 19/10/2024 -
Tue 26/11/2024
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
URC Lounge, Brookmans Park
Oaklands Avenue
Brookmans Park
AL9 7UW
Tutor:
Marina Burrell
Course code:
Q00019158
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £60.00

History: Origin and Development of Norfolk Parish Churches, Churchwardens' accounts in 16th Century

A Medieval Recipe: Take 600 Norfolk Parish Churches, mix in a handful of 16th century Churchwardens’ Accounts and just add water! Through a triptych of subjects, we’ll whet your appetite with a three-course menu which, for starters, reveals the origins and development of Norfolk’s iconic architectural masterpieces - its ancient parish churches - investigating their oft-times pagan roots through to the Christianity of the late medieval period. Churchwardens were key players in implementing and recording the changes which affected these churches as they grew in size and complexity, particularly in the devastating years surrounding the Reformation and their accounts provide fascinating details of those changes. This Day School bill of fare finishes with an esoteric analysis of the importance of the Water of Life in medieval monasteries both in its symbolic, ritual use and its practical life-supporting function. This is no dry subject!

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 26/10/2024 -
Sat 26/10/2024
Times:
10:00am - 3:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Swaffham Community Centre (Swaffham)
Iceni Partnership
Campingland
Swaffham
PE37 7RB
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00017996
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £21.00

History: Irish History in 10 documents

This day school looks at a thousand years of Irish history through ten important historical documents. Through close study of the sources, we will attempt to shed light on the momentous events, personalities and trends in this most fascinating story. We will start in the twelfth century and from there move forward until we reach the twentieth century. Throughout we will not only consider the sources themselves and the history they reveal but also consider issues of reliability, provenance and authenticity. By the end of the school, we should have deepened our knowledge and understanding of Irish history and our ability to interrogate historical records

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 29/10/2024 -
Tue 29/10/2024
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Enfield Baptist Church (Enfield) (Enfiel
Cecil Road
Enfield
EN2 6TG
Tutor:
Laurie Johnston
Course code:
Q00018859
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £18.00

Histoy: Irish History in Ten Documents

Delve into the key moments of Irish history through ten important documents. This course is ideal for history enthusiasts and anyone interested in learning more about Ireland's past.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 29/10/2024 -
Tue 29/10/2024
Location:
Enfield Baptist Church (Enfield) (Enfiel
Cecil Road
Enfield
EN2 6TG
Course code:
Q00018525
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £12.60

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For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
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Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

History: Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot

On this two session course, we will look into the background to the Gunpowder Plot and what the plotters hoped to achieve. Some disaffected Catholics felt it necessary to attempt to assassinate King James I because of the continuing religious conflict in England. In the two sessions of this course we will focus on Guy Fawkes and how he came to have the responsibility for carrying out the operation to blow up the parliament chamber, as well as the involvement of some of the other people behind the plot, including Robert Catesby, generally regarded as the main instigator. We will also consider some of the consequences of the plot's failure and the deaths of most of the conspirators, and why some aspects of the story remain unexplained.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 30/10/2024 -
Wed 06/11/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
David Price
Course code:
Q00018313
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £14.80

Our Moon, Magnificent Desolation

Explore the wonders of the moon with our Our Moon, Magnificent Desolation course. Learn about the moon's history, geology, and its significance in human culture. Ideal for astronomy enthusiasts and anyone interested in lunar science.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 02/11/2024 -
Sat 02/11/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
St John's United Reform Church Orpington
Lynwood Grove
Orpington
BR6 0BG
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00017579
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £10.00

History: USA: 1940 - 1972 A Divided Union

In 1989, the songwriter Billy Joel was told by a friend that “Things are different today. You were a kid in the fifties, and everybody knows that nothing happened in the fifties.” As a result, he wrote ‘We didn’t start the fire’ to highlight how the post-war decades shaped the world we live in today. Join us for this fascinating 6 week course where you will look at the crucial events that occurred between 1940 and 1972 in USA and reflect about their significance back then as well as how it translates into today’s society.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 04/11/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Friends Meeting House (Berkhamsted)
289 High Street
Berkhamsted
HP4 1AJ
Tutor:
Michael Long
Course code:
Q00017704
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

History: Smuggling in Essex: The Romance & Reality

How do the popular representations of smuggling in novels, songs, poems, paintings and film match up to the reality? We will look at some of the enduring romantic depictions alongside official records to consider the reality of life for people up and down the Essex coast in the 18th century engaged in smuggling or the fight against it.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 04/11/2024 -
Mon 02/12/2024
Times:
7:30pm - 9:30pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Bardfield Quaker Meeting House (Great Ba
Brook Street
Great Bardfield
CM7 4RG
Tutor:
Claire Parker
Course code:
Q00018319
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00

History: Essex in 10 objects

Essex museums are full of wonderful and sometimes surprising objects. This course takes a selection of objects looked after in museums all over the county and uses them as sources for learning about everyday life in Essex in the past. Covering a range of themes and times the course will also give you some ideas for places to visit in your own time.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 04/11/2024 -
Mon 16/12/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
YMCA Brightlingsea (Colchester)
High Street
Colchester
CO7 0AQ
Tutor:
Claire Parker
Course code:
Q00018843
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £58.80

Architecture: Modern Architecture: In Tune with the Past?

It is arguably a greater challenge for a modern architect to sympathetically expand the use of historic buildings, than to create new free-standing architecture. We will critically assess what a range of architects have achieved – including Norman Foster at the British Museum, Rick Mather at the Ashmolean in Oxford, and Herzog and de Meuron in creating and then expanding Tate Modern.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 05/11/2024 -
Tue 03/12/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
The Cornerstone (Wokingham)
Norreys Avenue
Wokingham
RG40 1UE
Tutor:
Keith Hasted
Course code:
Q00017591
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.00