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 Practical: Landscape painting

This course gives students - from beginners to improvers - the opportunity to explore different landscape painting approaches and techniques in a relaxed and supportive environment. It explores a range of styles, from the conventional and representational to more experimental and avant-garde approaches. Our highly experienced tutor, who is a practicing artist, provides practical and supportive advice on colour mixing, tonal variation, acrylic techniques, mark-making and composition, encouraging students to explore their own personal enthusiasms to make individual and original paintings. Source photographs will be provided online but students may use their own photos and other sources.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 26/09/2024 -
Thu 05/12/2024
Times:
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Frank Ferrie
Course code:
Q00017771
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £84.00

Creative Writing for Beginners

Welcome to the Beginners Creative Writing Course! This course is designed for absolute beginners with no prior writing experience. Start with the very basics of creative writing, including understanding different genres, brainstorming ideas, and writing simple sentences. Participate in fun, guided exercises to ignite your creativity and build your writing confidence. Learn how to express your thoughts clearly and creatively. By the end of the course, you'll have written your first short piece and gained the foundational skills to continue exploring creative writing. Join us and discover the joy of writing!

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 26/09/2024 -
Thu 31/10/2024
Location:
Online
Course code:
Q00015904
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.30

Foreign Languages: Post-Beginners Modern Greek (Term 1)

Have you learnt Modern Greek in the past for about a year? Would you like to expand your existing skills and increase your confidence in using them? This post-beginners’ course will provide you with some basic everyday language you need to get by on a visit to Greece or Cyprus, as well as an insight into the Greek lifestyle and culture. The course is taught by a well-qualified and experienced native speaker with many years’ teaching experience. Learning a foreign language for holiday or leisure is a great way to keep your brain active, explore a different culture, meet people with a common interest, increase your confidence and enhance your wellbeing. Take advantage of this unique opportunity today.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 26/09/2024 -
Thu 05/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Eleni Vezyri
Course code:
Q00018357
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

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
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £44.40

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

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:
3 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £111.00

Foreign Languages: Modern Greek for Improvers (lower intermediate Term 4)

Can you take part in short conversations in Greek in a wide range of situations? This online course will expand the Greek you have already learnt and increase your confidence in using the language to communicate with the locals when in Greece or Cyprus. It will also give you a further insight into the Greek lifestyle and culture. The course is taught by a well-qualified and experienced native speaker with many years’ teaching experience. Learning a foreign language for holiday or leisure is a great way to keep your brain active, explore a different culture, meet people with a common interest, increase your confidence and enhance your wellbeing. Take advantage of this unique opportunity today.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 27/09/2024 -
Wed 04/12/2024
Times:
2:15pm - 4:15pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Eleni Vezyri
Course code:
Q00018355
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

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
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £37.00

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
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £74.00

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 will move 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:
Tue 01/10/2024 -
Tue 10/12/2024
Times:
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00016883
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
4 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

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:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £22.20