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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Creative Writing: Memoirs Writing Workshop

This is a writing workshop for memoir writers keen to advance their work in progress or complete a stand-alone essay. We will study extracts from acclaimed memoirists and new voices to analyse what works and why, and which styles we wish to use for own subject matter. Then we will put what we have learnt into practice in developing our own projects. You will be encouraged to share your personal story effectively and we will explore writing techniques to help craft compelling memoirs. Some common challenges faced when writing memoirs will be looked at and ways of addressing these. Join us for a friendly, online class where you will explore this genre's unique characteristics.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 11/03/2025 -
Tue 27/05/2025
Times:
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Sarah Wardle
Course code:
Q00021273
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Shapes of Story: Tell it Slant

There's so many ways to tell a story. Finding the structure IS the creative part! Dive into the fascinating shapes of story. We’ll look at braided stories, hermit crabs, list stories, epistolary and fragmentary forms across fiction and creative non fiction. Learn the techniques and appreciate the effects different shapes of a story can enhance your writing.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 12/03/2025 -
Wed 02/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Torode
Course code:
Q00021166
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Creative Writing in the Landscape: Writing the River Tamar

In a stunning location overlooking Brunel’s famous Tamar Bridge to Cornwall, this workshop will be a feast for the creative senses. You’ll be encouraged to write what you can see, hear, feel, smell, touch – and taste! - in this ever-changing landscape. The workshop is open to everyone who likes to write, from beginners to published, and all genres from poetry to prose. This is a unique and wonderful opportunity to spend a day in the company of other writers, exploring the immediate natural and human-made environment. It’s also a chance to share your written work, if you wish, at a local festival.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 20/03/2025 -
Thu 20/03/2025
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Bridging the Tamar Visitor and Learning
Tamar Bridge Office
Pemros Road
Plymouth
PL5 1LP
Tutor:
Kate Cotton
Course code:
Q00018499
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

Film & Media: The Women Who Built The Film Industry (Day School)

This day school aims to introduce learners to the stories of some pioneering women from early cinema history who were hugely important to the development of the art, craft, and business of film, but who modern movie goers may not know. We’ll look at the unique challenges they faced as women in their times, their contributions – in some cases – deliberately overlooked, but also the immense possibilities of the emerging cinema industry. With a wealth of clips and background material.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 22/03/2025 -
Sat 22/03/2025
Times:
10:30am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Friends Meeting House (King's Lynn)
38 Bridge Street
King's Lynn
PE30 5AB
Tutor:
Christopher Budd
Course code:
Q00019924
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £30.00

WEA Membership

WEA membership is changing: more information is coming soon!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Art Appreciation: Sculptures and 3D Art

This 5 week course delves into the works of 5 street artists including Damian Ortega, Antony Gormley, Marc Quinn, Rachel Whiteread and Micheal Craig-Martin. Each week explores key art concepts including, colour and composition through sampleas of their work. You will engage in group discussions, take notes, and recall information. By the end of the course, you will be able to name significant sculptors, describe their artistic methods, sport similarities and differences among their work, deconstruct essential components of artworks, and select a preferred piece based on personal opinion.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 28/03/2025 -
Fri 25/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Castle Methodist Church (Colchester)
Maidenburgh Street
Colchester
CO1 1TT
Tutor:
Abbie Cairns
Course code:
Q00017692
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

Art Appreciation: British Art, Architecture and Design; 1900- 2000

This course will cover the changing currents of the ways in which the Visual Arts in Britain have evolved over the Twentieth Century. It will be broken into 4 parts; the pre 1914 period, the War and its aftermath, the post WW2 years and lastly the period 1980 onwards. The foci will be on changing relationships with international art, the impact of the Wars on art; and also how art maps in in relation to evolving concerns about equality and in relation to rapid urban and social change

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 29/03/2025 -
Sat 29/03/2025
Times:
10:00am - 3:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Swaffham Community Centre (Swaffham)
Iceni Partnership
Campingland
Swaffham
PE37 7RB
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00019920
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £21.00

Creative Writing: Creating and Developing Characters

Bring your characters to life with our Creative Writing: Creating and Developing Characters course. Learn techniques for creating complex, believable characters that drive your stories. Ideal for writers looking to enhance their character development skills.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 03/04/2025 -
Thu 12/06/2025
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Patrick O'Reilly
Course code:
Q00017316
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £92.40

Art Appreciation: Art and the Arts in the 1950s.

If there is such a thing, at any time the “national mood” in any country is reflected in the cultural products of the period - visual works, theatre productions, the movies, the literature. The course will provide an overview of the decade from the artistic and cultural viewpoint. This will include the art movements which emerged such as Abstract Expressionism, exemplified by people like Jackson Pollock, music developments such as rock'n'roll famously promoted by Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and many others and epoch-making movies such as West Side Story.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 03/04/2025 -
Thu 08/05/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Colin Lomas
Course code:
Q00021341
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

History: Some Medieval Kings and Queens of England…with Dr. Mark Barnard

According to legend, after the death of their native-born and last prince, Llewelyn The Last, Edward I promised the Welsh a prince born in Wales, who could speak no English. Not long after he presented them with his first-born son – the first Prince of Wales. Next, he relentlessly attempted to subdue Scotland, but died before doing so. Meanwhile, Richard II’s reign has been described by Shakespeare as one of England’s worse whilst that of Henry V as one of England’s finest. But should Shakespeare’s portrayals be challenged, or are they closer to the truth than some have suggested? Providing a brief overview of England’s medieval rulers, this course traces how the reigns of six Plantagenets and their wives have helped shaped the country in their struggles with each other, Parliament, France and Scotland.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 04/04/2025 -
Fri 23/05/2025
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Mickleover Library (Derby)
Mickleover Library
Holly End Road, Mickleover
Derby
DE3 0GA
Tutor:
Mark Barnard
Course code:
Q00020535
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £58.80

Art Appreciation: Hilma af Klint: Swedish painter, spiritualist and pioneer of abstract art

The emergence of abstract art in the early 20th century was a revolution. When looking into its very beginnings the names of Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian come to mind. But in the 1980s, the world discovered the abstract paintings made by a Swedish artist, as early as 1907. Should her many abstract paintings encourage us to rewrite the history of abstract art, or can her work and experiments be seen as marginal because of her intense spiritualism? Why did her works come to our attention so late? This is a thought-provoking case, and a great story!

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 07/04/2025 -
Mon 07/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019199
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10