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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This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Literature: 20th Century British Women's Short Stories

This course will range from the beginning of the twentieth century until its end, and explore the wealth of short stories written during this period by women. We will encounter the usual suspects such as Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Bowen and Doris Lessing, but the course will also assess the stories of less well-known writers, many of whom are worthy of much deeper study. These writers will emerge from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As all our texts are by women, we will discover the importance of these voices, often disappeared in a patriarchal society, and recognise how vital these women’s voices were and are.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 29/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00017460
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Intermediate Latin

Did you know that learning Latin can enrich your knowledge in all sorts of other areas? Far from being “dead”, Latin is all around us. This intermediate Latin course can give you essential background knowledge to understand terminology in law, medicine, family history, and many other subjects. Latin has hundreds of applications in contemporary contexts. This course is ideal for you if you’re interested in learning Latin, or gaining general knowledge to help you learn modern languages or other disciplines.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 24/09/2024 -
Tue 04/02/2025
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
15 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Penelope Fewster
Course code:
Q00017595
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £111.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Art Appreciation: Art and Society in 18th Century Britain

Discuss a range of works of art from the eighteenth century, linking them to their social, political and historical contexts, and investigating their role in recording and shaping contemporary debates.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 25/09/2024 -
Wed 11/12/2024
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Prasannajit De Silva
Course code:
Q00009792
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Creating and Developing Characters

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on creating and developing character. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 26/09/2024 -
Thu 05/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00009200
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

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:
WEA Membership

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Beginners Latin

Latin is more alive than ever. It is often called a “dead” language, yet it is all around us. This online Latin course is ideal for language and history enthusiasts alike. Whether you are interested in language learning, botany, law, medicine, or even family history, you will find Latin everywhere. This beginner’s Latin course will teach you the essential grammar and syntax to start reading and understanding Latin. Learn to translate basic sentences into English. Learning Latin will give you transferable knowledge to apply to any language learning. This fascinating language is considered the blueprint for modern languages. Understand the etymology of various European languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 26/09/2024 -
Thu 06/02/2025
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
15 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Penelope Fewster
Course code:
Q00017596
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £111.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Literature: Detective Fiction in Society and Culture

In these lectures Stephen Wilkinson will introduce students to the history of the detective genre and discuss its relationship to the development of capitalism, urbanisation and consumerist commodity culture. Students will be encouraged to read detective fiction as a prism through which societies, their anxieties and underlying psycho-political natures can be understood. Using the examples from the UK, US and Cuba students will gain an insight into the ways in which popular literature gives shape and form to our lives.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 26/09/2024 -
Thu 17/10/2024
Times:
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00017701
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Creating Characters

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on character creation. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 27/09/2024 -
Fri 01/11/2024
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00009209
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Foreign Languages: Reading Latin for Beginners

Would you like to take your Latin beyond GCSE level and develop your ability to read and enjoy Latin literature? You will use the Latin you have already learnt to translate, discuss and analyse original Latin literature, both verse and prose. Through online activities such as quizzes and assignments and group work in the online sessions, you will discover the enduring fascination and importance of some of the greatest literature ever written whilst consolidating and extending your knowledge and understanding of Latin grammar.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 27/09/2024 -
Fri 07/02/2025
Times:
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Duration:
15 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Penelope Fewster
Course code:
Q00012454
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £111.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Art Appreciation: Painters of the Venetian Renaissance

In five short weeks we will look at and talk about the outpouring of talent which happened over a few years, one talent encouraging another. Venice was the most powerful city state in Italy. It was the richest city and the premier port because its position dictated its links to the vast trading wealth of the East. The power this wealth gave them and their privileged access to trade goods also led to an extremely stable political system which lasted for 1,000 years and it was known as “La Serenissima”.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 30/09/2024 -
Mon 28/10/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kate Phillips
Course code:
Q00017437
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Literature: Reading Boris Pastenak and Helen Dunmore - Doctor Zhivago and Zennor in Darkness

During this course, we will begin our discussion with a Russian classic, Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. This 1957 novel was first published in Italy. It was not published in Russia until 1988. We will be thinking about the way Boris Paternak presents the political and societal events of his lifetime. Do these scenes and ideas resonate in only a historical sense? Later on in the course we willmove on to Zennor in Darkness, Helen Dunmore’s 1996 Orange Prize winning novel to think about her portrayal of World War one Cornwall and DH Lawrence, as we continue our discussion about the way fiction translates the past.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 30/09/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024
Times:
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00016882
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Literature: The Matter of Britain: Malory and the Arthurian Legend

In this taster course, learners will begin by considering the many and varied sources of the Arthurian legend, in literature and other media, before focusing on the most famous and complete literary work in English on the Matter of Britain, Malory’s Morte d’Arthur. We will study examples from this extensive work, and explore Malory’s prose style and his use of late Middle English. No prior knowledge of Middle English is required, and the course is suitable for beginners and improvers.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 02/10/2024 -
Wed 16/10/2024
Times:
9:15am - 11:15am
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Roberta Dewa
Course code:
Q00016271
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £22.20

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Creating & Developing Characters

You will practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue, in fortnightly sessions, and apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on character creation. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. You will be given guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. Course content is flexible, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 03/10/2024 -
Thu 12/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00009227
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Writing Your First Novel: Getting Started

You'll learn about the key pillars of creative writing, which will help you write effective fiction pieces, as well as create an effective creative writing practice. Whether you want to write a novel, short stories, or just write for self-awareness and personal development, come along, and join the class, whether you consider yourself an absolute beginner or someone who has written a little in the past.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 03/10/2024 -
Thu 12/12/2024
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Craig Rickard
Course code:
Q00009230
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £59.20

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Be Inspired

The aim is to help develop and channel students' writing ability, whether as a hobby or for publication with discussion of many aspects of writing, projects and readings of their work in a constructive and friendly setting. All levels are welcome.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 09/10/2024 -
Wed 11/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
9 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stella Stocker
Course code:
Q00009413
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £66.60

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Art Appreciation: Artist Movements from the early 20th Century

From the Blue Rider to the Bridge to Dada, the emergence of modernism in the early 20th century saw a flourishing of artist groups who challenged what art is and how it should be made and seen. In this course, we’ll look at some of the key collectives, leading artists who were part of them and their artistic innovations, including among others Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Ernst Kirchner, Kurt Schwitters and Marcel Duchamps.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 17/10/2024 -
Thu 14/11/2024
Times:
2:45pm - 4:45pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Ruth Mulandi
Course code:
Q00017291
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Art Appreciation: Art Fakes, Forgeries, and Copies

What makes an artist forger artworks?, what motivates them?, which famous artists do they copy?, what techniques do they use?, and do they get away with it?. This course explores the answers to these questions, as well as how many fakes are produced, and the money that can be made. Above all, when the forger is caught how they can became celebrities in their own right with exhibitions of their artworks in their own name. The course will also examine the challenges and opportunities and above all the controversies surrounding AI-generated Art, is it original, a copy or a fake?

Course Information

Dates:
Sun 27/10/2024 -
Sun 01/12/2024
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00017465
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Art Appreciation: Lost Stars of the Renaissance - Art History

In this course, we will discuss in detail works from lesser-known painters of the Renaissance era. Since the High Renaissance is much better known, we will look at artists from the fifteenth century, who were very highly thought of at the time. They were influential and sought-after by the powerful in Florence.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 04/11/2024 -
Mon 25/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kate Phillips
Course code:
Q00017300
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Art Appreciation: The Art of Christmas

The Christmas story has probably inspired more art than any other subject. From medieval icons of the Virgin and Child to the Renaissance paintings of the shepherds and the wise men; and from stained glass windows to Christmas cards, the story has been at the forefront of western art.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 04/11/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024
Times:
11:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
David Brindley
Course code:
Q00009345
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Literature: Edward Thomas - Hampshire Poet

Come and join this six-week online course. The course offers the opportunity to study a selection of Edward Thomas’s poetry and the contexts that shaped him and his life. Through reading, analysis and discussion we will explore the poems of Edward Thomas as a Hampshire Poet. We will evaluate Thomas’s position as an important poet of the early 20th century.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 06/11/2024 -
Wed 11/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Victoria Ramsay
Course code:
Q00017157
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Developing Characters

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on developing character. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 08/11/2024 -
Fri 13/12/2024
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00009210
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice

For those interested in creative writing as a tool for well being, developing writing skills with increased enjoyment in writing and particular emphasis on writing therapeutically - describing and utilising personal experience

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 09/11/2024 -
Sat 09/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stella Stocker
Course code:
Q00009815
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £20.35

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Art Appreciation: Art: What Does it Mean?

We all try to ‘understand’ works of art. During this course we will look at different artworks and discuss how do they convey meaning, and what methods can be used to interpret them. This course will increase your confidence when looking at and discussing different pieces of art. You'll be able to understand why artists use techniques in different ways and how they use these techniques in order to express their ideas.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 16/11/2024 -
Sat 16/11/2024
Times:
9:30am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Prasannajit De Silva
Course code:
Q00009784
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £9.25

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

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 09/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Ruth Mulandi
Course code:
Q00017438
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Art Appreciation: The Destruction of Art by artists, institutions, and conflicts

This course explores the destruction of art which has been going on for centuries whether through natural disasters, censorship, political ideology, war, and conflicts. Artists have been destroying their work out of jealousy or frustration to save their reputations or their legacies for generations. Contemporary artists even destroy art as part of their artistic practices, installations, or performances. Whilst activists are prepared to vandalise artworks to get their voices heard on issues they are passionate about. And governments waging wars deliberate target artworks to destroy the enemy’s culture. Are artworks destined to be destroyed whether through practice, protest, or conflict?

Course Information

Dates:
Sun 08/12/2024 -
Sun 08/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00017293
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Art Appreciation: Art and Faith

Are you fascinated by art and how it developed, and would like to know more? Humans have always expressed their spirituality through art, from the earliest cave drawings to contemporary installations in cathedrals. This course concentrates on how European art has depicted the Christian faith, but also looks at the art of Islam and the Indian art of Buddhism and Hinduism. Beginning with cave art around the world, we look at some of the earliest artistic expressions of humanity’s search for the beyond. Buddhist and Hindu art from the centuries before Christ is discussed, as is art from the earliest roots of Islam from the seventh century onwards.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 06/01/2025 -
Mon 10/02/2025
Times:
11:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
David Brindley
Course code:
Q00009346
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50