WEA courses

This course is for women only. It will be held at the Dolphin Women's Centre, Washwood Heath, Birmingham and is an ESOL course for beginners. The course will help you to develop your basic speaking and listening, reading and writing skills in English. This is an English course aimed at adults for whom English is not their first language. You will get lots of opportunities to practice your new English skills in groups and individually, you will also be given homework tasks so you can continue to practice at home.. If you are supporting someone to find an English class you have come to the right place.

This course will cover a discussion of the importance of the social and sexual mores of the times in history. There will be four weeks to look at the life and work of these remarkable women, Sofonisba Anguissola, Artemisia Gentileschi and Lavinia Fontana. We will cover the problems that faced them because of their place that their sex ensured they were kept in. Then at the ways they employed to get round these societal problems. Then we shall study their body of work under the context of the moment of history that they lived in.

This course in art appreciation provides close attentions to particular works of art from two important artists working in Italy in the fifteenth century, Sandro Botticelli and Piero della Francesca. The focus will be upon specific paintings and drawings in relation to who the works were for, how the decisions about visual presentations were determined and the integration of pictorial practice with contemporary ideas. There are no requirements from students prior the beginning of the course. Students would benefit from access to online sources during the course. Papers and images will be made available to students through the WEA Canvas site. You will need to have access to the internet to access the papers for this course. The course uses a secure digital learning portal for all the classes and for communications with the tutor and access to learning materials. The course would be appropriate for both experienced viewers of art and those new to the subject.

Explore the history of the Ottoman Empire with our History: The Ottoman Empire - Fall 1876-1922 course. Learn about the key events and figures that led to the decline and fall of the empire. Ideal for history enthusiasts and anyone interested in learning about the Ottoman Empire.

Knowing how to sign can make your communication more inclusive for everyone you interact with. Build on your skills in British Sign Language to be able to have deeper interactions with deaf people. This BSL course is suitable for you if you need to communicate with deaf people or people with hearing impairments. It can help you in a variety of contexts, for example in a voluntary or community role, or simply through social interactions. This course is aimed at intermediate learners. You will build on your existing BSL skills. If you would like to start from scratch, you can take the beginner’s BSL course.

This second of two courses on modern Chinese history concentrates on the history of China from 1912 to 1992 a time marked by profound transformations, including the fall of the imperial system, the rise of the First Republic, the Warlord Era, the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, and major upheavals of war, rebellion, revolution and geopolitical alignment. We trace the political social, cultural and economic development of China in the 20th Century. We consider the events, ideas and personalities that shaped this extraordinary national story. Throughout, we draw parallels with our own time and how we got here.

The course aims to introduce learners to the idea of how the role of the cinematic costume designer can be crucial in making or breaking a whole film. Costumes can evoke bygone eras, tell us hidden truths about characters, make outlandish otherworldly futures believable, and so much more. With a wealth of clips and background material.

In this course, we will focus on a key component of art: colour. We will seek to understand what colours are made of, how they were chosen, and how they work altogether in a composition, and what they mean for the viewers. As we study examples from Ancient Egypt to contemporary art, this fascinating subject will take us beyond traditional art history. We will sometimes invoke chemistry, economy, and psychology as we study the colours of works of art. As a result of this course, you will gain keys to understand and appreciate the colours of any work of art.

Learn basic writing skills with this foundational English course for beginners. This English course is for speakers of other languages. It will help you learn to write in English to study, work, and live in the UK. Entry 1 ESOL courses help people who are just starting to learn English. It will help you gain confidence to write basic sentences in English. There are also reading and speaking & listening courses at this level. If you’re helping others access ESOL classes in the UK, you’ve come to the right place.

If you enjoy the buzz of learning environments, this qualification can teach you key skills for employment in a school or college. This government-funded course prepares you for a variety of roles. It provides the basic skills and knowledge necessary to work in admin, technical, or support roles in a learning environment. Studying support work in schools at level 2 can be a first step towards working with kids in teaching positions. It also provides you with the qualifications needed to work in admin at schools. No matter what role you’re interested in, this course can teach you skills for employability in schools and colleges.