WEA courses

Did you know that it is estimated that 80% of adults will suffer with back pain at some point in their lives. Back problems are one of the main causes of time off work. Back pain can last a few days, may come and go, or can become a chronic condition. Back care Awareness week aims to empower people with the knowledge and tools to both prevent back problems and to maintain a healthy back. Medical guidance encourages us to keep moving, stretch it out, and try to ease symptoms of stress to better manage back ache. Yoga is an excellent tool to support a healthy back and can be practiced by anyone. This mat-based session will introduce you to simple stretches and postures that

A history course based on some well-known musicals. Writers of musicals often dealt with complex social, political and historical issues while also providing an entertaining show with great songs, but in this course we’ll look at some unexpected, surprising and even ill-conceived inspirations for musicals, some of which were very successful, some of which were not. The course includes the background to musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Stephen Sondheim, but also lesser-known writers whose work has become very successful and has acquired a cult following.  At the end of the course, you will be able to: - Discuss how Evita and Call Me Madam are influenced by the writers' personal viewpoints of the societies they are describing - Give examples of how fairy tale conventions are overturned in Frozen and Into The Woods - Identify some of the classic films, stories and characters that fed into horror musicals like Rocky Horror Show and Sweeney Todd. - Discuss why "bad taste" is such a prevalent feature of modern musicals, like the Producers and Little Shop of Horrors. - Identify some of the issues that caused a few of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musicals to fail.

Join guest tutor Andy Beharrell on this fascinating insight into the history and events around the Essex, East Anglia and East Coast Waters. Each week will have a different theme starting with the shipwrecks around East Anglia, followed by The Maunsell Forts and ending with From Tierra Del Fuego to Essex. The course will be in the historic venue of The Reading Rooms at Billericay, Essex.

The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley famously said that ‘Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.’ This course tracks the development of English poetry, from the sonnets of Shakespeare to the contemporary poetry of Jack Underwood, Emily Berry, and Rachael Allen. As well as considering each of the poets in isolation from week to week, we will also use the seven week course to ask ourselves: how has poetry developed through the years, and how has it remained the same? As well as considering each of the poets and poems in isolation from week to week, we will also take the opportunity to compare what aspects No previous knowledge of poetry is necessary – everybody is most welcome!

Prepare for the UK job market with our comprehensive Get Ready for Work course. Develop essential skills and knowledge needed for job applications, interviews, and workplace success. Ideal for individuals seeking employment in the UK.

The Driving Theory for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Learners course is specifically designed to assist non-native English speakers in preparing for and passing their driving theory test. This course focuses on building essential language skills and understanding of driving rules and regulations in an English-speaking context. Participants will gain confidence in both their language proficiency and their knowledge of traffic signs, road safety, and driving laws necessary to pass the theory test. The course takes place in a friendly and encouraging environment, supported by a specialist tutor and the team at WEA.

This course is designed to work in conjunction with our entry level ESOL courses, and will allow learners to put the skills learnt in this course into practise. Learners will have the opportunity to develop relationships alongside each other, rehearsing spoken English in a fun and relaxed environment. These sessions are designed to add to learners wellbeing, as well as mastering their current learnt English.

Unleash your confidence. This unique 4-week course goes beyond typical confidence-building programs. We'll delve deeper, helping you understand the science of confidence and how to apply powerful techniques to conquer challenges in various situations.

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.

The detective story is one of the most popular literary genres, as well as one that has produced some classic novels. Each week we focus on a short detective story or novel, reading and discussing key passages. The selected novels are in chronological order, from the 19th century to modern times. We begin with Edgar Allen Poe and Conan Doyle, and end with Sophie Hannah. We’ll be able to share and debate interpretations, sharpen our critical and appreciative faculties, understand what detective fiction can tell us about the society and culture that produced it, and, hopefully, be inspired to read other works by the writers featured on the course.