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. 

Skip to course

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.

Please enter your postcode

In order for us to give you accurate results for your courses, please click on the Search options and enter your postcode and the mile radius for your search.

Refine search

How you'll learn

Your location

Please enter your postcode or town for your search in the boxes below.

We have defaulted the search to ten miles, but you can change this number in the box as you wish.

Sort by start date

Choose to sort the course start date in ascending order (furthest away dates first) or descending (most recent dates first)

Results per page

Days

Other Filters

Part of day
Level of study
Availability
Search for the branch name/location, without adding branch e.g. Barnet

Creative Writing: Show and Tell: Taster Workshop

This workshop will re-examine the golden rule in creative writing “Show don’t tell.” With published extracts from a variety of genres, both fiction and creative non- fiction, you will see what is meant by effective showing. How emotions, thoughts, reactions are described rather than explained to make the story so much more engaging. You’ll learn how to apply this to your work with great effect. Rather than ‘don’t tell’ you’ll learn where telling and summary are essential for pace and plot. This course is intended for those who have some experience of creative writing.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 13/11/2024 -
Wed 13/11/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 5:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Torode
Course code:
Q00019618
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10

Art Appreciation: Stravinsky and Russian art

The course aims to encourage learners to attend art exhibitions and/or musical events with a greater background knowledge in order to enhance appreciation. If actual attendance is not possible, to undertake independent research and hence, enjoy a more active and cultural lifestyle. The class also offers an opportunity for learners to interact socially with like- minded people in intellectual pursuits. It also encourages learners to acquire critical and analytical skills through debate and discussion. The course covers all styles and periods from the Renaissance to the present day. It is multi media to accommodate diverse learning styles and preferences. It is suitable for beginners and connoisseurs alike.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 16/11/2024 -
Sat 16/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Trinity Church (London)
100 Mill Hill
The Broadway
London
NW7 3TB
Tutor:
Andrew Rothwell
Course code:
Q00017561
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £30.00

Creative Writing: Weekend Bootcamp: Essentials of story!

Over 5 hours in one weekend, 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.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 16/11/2024 -
Sun 17/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Torode
Course code:
Q00019288
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £21.00

Film & Media: A Short History of Italian Cinema

Full of iconic moments, stories that capture everyday and life with great authenticity, Italian cinema has produced film-makers of singular vision and style who have pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling and film form. This course will introduce you to a national cinema that has made a unique contribution to world cinema

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 18/11/2024 -
Mon 16/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Ruth Mulandi
Course code:
Q00017438
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
0 places remaining
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £37.00

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Literature: The American Short Story

The postwar period saw a major change in the significance of the short story in the USA and Canada, as it developed into a form for more serious explorations of character and psychology. Each week we will look at two stories by a major North American writer and discuss how they use such techniques as narration, subtext, and imagery to portray complex, layered characters. Featured writers include Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, John Updike, Mavis Gallant, Shirley Jackson, and Elizabeth Strout. In the final two weeks we will look at stories about Christmas in particular.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 18/11/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Jubilee Hall Loddon (Loddon)
George Lane
Loddon
NR14 6NB
Tutor:
Joseph Williams
Course code:
Q00019239
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

Art Appreciation: Expressionism: from Kirchner to Kandinsky and Kokoschka (1905-1939)

In this short course, we will focus on Expressionism, a key art movement of the beginning of the 20th century. Starting around 1905 in Germany and Austria, with painters and sculptors such as Ersnt Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rotluff, the expressionist style soon pervaded other art forms, such as cinema. Expressionist works of art were raw and energetic, shocking, sometimes dark and apocalyptic, sometimes light and spiritual, and always intensely free. If you have ever wondered what is Expressionism, how it started and developed, and why these artists painted in such a way, this course is for you!

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 20/11/2024 -
Wed 11/12/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00017434
How you'll learn:
Online
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Literature: Mythology of the Winter Sky

Do you find the Festive season challenging or lonely? Perhaps you need a break from all the noise and build up that surrounds Christmas and you just need to press pause, take a breath and relax. Give yourself some ‘me’ time, take a break for a little while and join WEA tutor Jane Williams, where she will explore the myths behind well-known constellations of the winter sky, such as Orion the Hunter, the Seven Sisters, and the Great Bear and much more.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 21/11/2024 -
Thu 21/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jane Williams
Course code:
Q00019858
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

Art Appreciation: Portraits through the Ages

The portrait has flourished as an art form from the ancient world to the present day and this innovative course will explore its continuing popularity. We shall study not only the painted face and figure but a variety of formats and formulae, from statuary to pendant medals and miniatures, and study artists as diverse as Holbein, Titian, Gainsborough, Singer Sargent and Francis Bacon. We include a reflection on the place of the photograph in this history of portraiture.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 22/11/2024 -
Fri 22/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
The Ambrose Allen Centre (Tadley)
2 Franklin Avenue
Tadley
RG26 4ET
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00017150
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
3 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

Literature: Children’s Fantasy Novels

Interested in children's fantasy novels? This day school delves into classics like J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, Ursula K. LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea, and J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. No need to read the entire novels; we'll focus on specific chapters. Explore the literary significance and themes of these works, and discuss their lasting legacy. Resources will be available on Canvas for pre- and post-session reflection. The day combines tutor presentations with group discussions, connecting the novels to broader cultural contexts and examining how fiction relates to the real world.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 23/11/2024 -
Sat 23/11/2024
Times:
10:30am - 4:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Norwich Millennium Library (Norwich)
Millennium Library
The Forum, Millennium Plain
Norwich
NR2 1AW
Tutor:
James Clarke
Course code:
Q00017990
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

Art Appreciation: John Singer Sargent: At Once Modern and Classic

What do you know about John Singer Sargent? He was a high society portrait painter? He painted Madame X, and Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose. In this session, you will learn about the life and career of this extraordinary painter, in greater details. American, he lived in Italy, in France and mainly in England, where he became a sought-after portrait painter. But there is much more to Sargent than his portraits of wealthy patrons. We will also discover some of his impressionist paintings and his watercolours. Sargent’s art is paradoxical: modern by some features, and classical based on some others. But always, in portraits as in landscapes, he comes across as a brilliant painter.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 23/11/2024 -
Sat 23/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019039
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £8.40