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: 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:
4 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.00

History: Germany between the World Wars - Part 1

At the end of the First World War, Germany underwent dramatic change. The Kaiser abdicated, and the country emerged from a period of autocratic rule to embark on a bold and (on paper) very progressive experiment in republican democracy. At the same time, the victorious allies of the Great War imposed a punitive peace treaty on Germany at Versailles, reflecting their belief that Germany has caused the war and should pay the price. These changes, together with other factors such as the worldwide economic situation between the wars ushered in a period of social, political and financial turbulence in which Hitler and the Nazis would eventually rise to power.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 05/11/2024 -
Tue 26/11/2024
Times:
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00018059
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
0 places remaining
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £22.20

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

History: Happy, Healthy Holidays on the Essex Coast

When and why did holidaying at the seaside become popular and where along Essex’s Sunshine Coast would you choose to go? Rediscover the carefree days of a seaside holiday at one of the Essex resorts. From families to famous names in popular entertainment, a stay at the seaside was just the thing in 19th and 20th centuries and we’ll be sharing memories of those days as we consider how the resorts developed, thrived and faced challenges together.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 05/11/2024 -
Tue 03/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Christchurch United Reform Church (Chelm
164 New London Road
Chelmsford
CM2 0AW
Tutor:
Claire Parker
Course code:
Q00019019
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00

History: Defending Britain with Fortifications

The course looks at the various fortifications found across Britain against their historical context. Each week we will look at different kinds of fortifications trying to work out why they were built when and where they were, how they functioned and how and why fortifications changed over time.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 05/11/2024 -
Tue 03/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 11:30am
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Writtle Village Hall (Writtle)
The Green
Writtle
CM1 3DU
Tutor:
Roger Cooke
Course code:
Q00019262
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £31.50

History: English canals- An Introduction

As built, canals linked towns and cities with the remote corners of the English countryside. Built largely to carry coal to fuel the Industrial Revelation, they are used today for pleasure purposes. Canals offer the opportunity to improve health and wellbeing, whether walking along the towpath or travelling along in a barge. Come and join this illustrated course where you as will discover how the canal system was built and its contribution to our industrial and social history, by tracing its expansion, slow decline and renaissance. During this course you will discover that there are different types of canals, various methods used to raise and lower barges to different levels and review the role of James Brindley who was a canal pioneer. This course is suitable for learners with little or some knowledge of the subject.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 05/11/2024 -
Tue 10/12/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Michael Turner
Course code:
Q00016930
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.30

History: Roman Gardens

‘Ancient Roman Gardens’ examines the crucial role played by gardens and gardening in the Roman world. They supplied food for the poor and were the scenes of specular display for the rich. They would also set the style and tone for many later European gardens, and this course will therefore be of interest to all those who wish to explore this formative phase in garden history. Through discussion and self directed study we will study the primary elements of the classic Roman garden and how it has impacted on more contempora

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 06/11/2024 -
Wed 04/12/2024
Times:
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Mark Faulkner
Course code:
Q00016184
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

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:
6 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £40.80

History: Tell Sad Stories of the Death of Kings: The Origins of the Wars of the Roses

The course examines the origins of the bitter struggle for the Crown of England in the mid-fifteenth century. It also considers the impact of events in France on England, the collapse of England’s continental possessions, the end of the Hundred Years' War, and its impact on events at home. It looks at the rivalries within the nobility and whether the civil war that resulted was inevitable. It was a time characterized by dynastic instability and political chaos. The shifting of leadership and loyalties within the noble houses, as well as the numerous claims to the throne, created a sense of uncertainty and mistrust among the ruling elite which fuelled the violence and bloodshed that historians call the Wars of the Roses.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 06/11/2024 -
Wed 18/12/2024
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Michael Long
Course code:
Q00018740
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80