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 skills 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 skills - 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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Art and About: Film, Camera, Action: a walk through some of London’s film locations.

We will walk from Victory Arch, Waterloo station, to the MI6 buildingi in Vauxhall, stopping to consider a variety of places used as film locations and settings. The aim is to share knowledge about the production background and what these locations contribute to the storyline, atmosphere and style of each film. We will consider a range of films including The Bourne Ultimatum, A United Kingdom, Alfie, Trainspotting, and Skyfall.
Dates:
Sun 08/06/2025 -
Sun 08/06/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Meeting point: Victory Arch (London)
Waterloo Station,
Waterloo Road,South Bank
London
SE1 8SW
Tutor:
Daniel Williams
Course code:
Q00019137
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £12.60

Creative Writing: Writing for Blogs, Magazines and Publications

A friendly and accessible guide to feature writing, both in print and/or for digital media – blogs, online reviews etc. How to write, research, style and structure an article, either/or factual and creative. Taking time to identify a suitable publication for a proposed article and making first contact. This course also explores the online possibilities of reviews and blogging – how to blog consistently and maintain a readership. This course will make use of a mix of informal feedback, lecture using PowerPoint slides, some focused group discussion/creative tasks in breakout rooms and feedback. Suitable for beginners or improvers and those with a passing curiosity!
Dates:
Tue 10/06/2025 -
Tue 08/07/2025
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
George Cromack
Course code:
Q00020297
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

Film & Media: Shooting Stars 5 Great Artist Biopics

A friendly and accessible exploration of five cinematic works charting the lives of various artists and performers. Expectation for the big screen biographical drama is often high, some fair well with audience and critics whilst others flounder. We have fun whilst gaining knowledge and understanding of big screen biopics and cinema I general. What are the running features of a successful biopic? Is there a winning formula? How much ‘artistic licence’ on behalf of the filmmaker is too much? Promoting knowledge, understanding and confidence regarding film and cinema in general, whilst also highlighting specialist language and terminology, advancing literacy, communication skills and confidence in delivering informed feedback.
Dates:
Tue 10/06/2025 -
Tue 08/07/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
George Cromack
Course code:
Q00021150
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

Creative Writing: Take a Picture – Tell its Story...

Take a Picture , this time with a broad ‘Summer Theme’- Tell Its Story, a fun, friendly and structured approach to aid you in finding inspiration, putting pen paper and get writing. Every picture tells a story, so we put the focus on getting creative and being inspired by a variety of pictures (ideally taken by yourself with a different theme to prompt us each session). We apply some key hints, tricks and craft to our writing which could be inspired by memory found in fact, fiction or somewhere in between - developing ideas throughout each session.
Dates:
Thu 12/06/2025 -
Thu 10/07/2025
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Stephen Joseph Theatre (Scarborough)
Westborough
Scarborough
YO11 1JW
Tutor:
George Cromack
Course code:
Q00020301
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00

WEA Membership

WEA membership is changing: more information is coming soon!

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Art Appreciation: Women in Art from Renaissance to date

Discover the life and work of Artemisia Gentileschi born in Italy in 1593 who is considered to be one of the most accomplished female artists of the 17th century. The session explores her work and the messages it contained . We explore the reasons for her success , her relationships , methods and training. We will look at her early life and when , where and how she began to study . The session explores her early Caravaggio influences and her Italian Baroque style and technique. The session moves on to briefly explore the work of some of the other prominent female artists from other countries through time focusing on the elements of their work but in particular the connections they had which made their work popular despite the social and political limitations upon women at the time . We will then have the opportunity to look at the work of the more contemporary modern works of female artists drawing comparisons with Gentileschi's work. Some of the artists we will discover include icons such as Louise Bourgeois and Tamara de Lempicka as well as more contemporary modern artists such as Tracey Emin.
Dates:
Thu 12/06/2025 -
Thu 12/06/2025
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kerry Van Der Schraft
Course code:
Q00022115
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

Art Appreciation: Paul Nash: Dreamer of the Modern World.

scover the fascinating life and work of 20th century artist, Paul Nash. Chart his significant impact on British art from 1914 to his death in 1946: from his experiences as Official War Artist during both World Wars; and his contribution to the development of British Surrealism and modern landscape. The course explores also Nash’s fruitful collaboration with his wife, the writer and Suffragette, Margaret Odeh. Central to this course will be a focus on Nash’s interest in spirituality and Eastern philosophies, exploring how his paintings articulated certain subjects and motifs that helped him make sense of a world of conflict.
Dates:
Fri 13/06/2025 -
Fri 11/07/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Blue Beetle Room (London)
Hendon Lane
Finchley
London
N3 1TR
Tutor:
Chantal Condron
Course code:
Q00017396
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.00

History: Art and About: Outrage – Walking the Greenwich Park Bomb 1894

This short walk from the Greenwich Foot Tunnel entrance to the Royal Observatory traces some of the sites connected to what some have called the first act of international terrorism – the Greenwich Park Bomb Outrage of 1894 in which a young French Anarchist blew himself to pieces. Why did he do it? What was he trying to achieve and why do it in a deserted Greenwich Park in the depths of winter? What evidence of the incident now remains for us to consider and attempt to draw conclusions from? What was the explosion’s lasting impact, and does it have any modern relevance? Meet at Greenwich Foot Tunnel South Entrance, London SE10 9HT
Dates:
Fri 13/06/2025 -
Fri 13/06/2025
Times:
10:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Meeting Point: Greenwich Foot Tunnel
South Entrance
London
London
SE10 9HT
Tutor:
Laurie Johnston
Course code:
Q00022030
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £12.60

Care 2: Art Forgeries

This course is for carers, former carers and the cared for. We will be looking at the famous art forgers of the 20th Century and how they fooled the art world, its art historians, collectors and museum directors.
Dates:
Sat 14/06/2025 -
Sat 14/06/2025
Times:
10:00am - 11:30am
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00021794
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Creative Writing: Bootcamp: Essentials of Story

Aimed at those who have stories or working on a longer project, this course set over 5 hours in in one weekend, gives you dedicated time for writing and reflecting on your optimum creative process. You’ll set a daily achievable goal, refresh an element of story craft through the tutor’s stimulating exercises and extracts from published texts and write! We’ll immerse ourselves in short and longer writing exercises and get feedback from the tutor and peers when you share in pairs. Imagine the amount of work and momentum you’ll build over these two mornings. Set yourself up for success with dedicated time for writing.
Dates:
Sat 14/06/2025 -
Sun 15/06/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Torode
Course code:
Q00021875
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £18.50

Film Studies: 5 Classics from the Golden Age of British Cinema

A fun and accessible course exploring a selection of films spanning the ‘Golden Age’ of British cinema. The 1940s through to the early 1960s are widely regarded as being a ‘Golden Age’ of British Cinema, before the strain of limited finances, and difficulties with overseas distribution saw the dominance of Hollywood take over the U.K box office. We (re)visit a compelling collection from this era, promoting knowledge, understanding and appreciation and confidence regarding film and cinema. We have fun and discuss a selection of his works, considering running themes and techniques whilst considering audience appeal and interpretation then and now.
Dates:
Mon 16/06/2025 -
Mon 14/07/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
George Cromack
Course code:
Q00021049
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00