WEA courses

Ranging from the satirical, even salacious, scenes of William Hogarth, through the often shocking socio-political criticism of Georg Grosz's work during the Weimar Republic, to the state-controlled art of Soviet Socialist Realism, this course explores the power of art to criticize and/or celebrate the social and political developments of their times No previous experience is necessary  - just a lively, open-minded interest in art! Topics to be covered will include the works of William Hogarth, Gustave Courbet, Jean-Francois Millet, Georg Grosz and Otto Dix; the works of the American Ashcan School (c1890-1914) and Soviet Socialist Realism (1930-); and the social, cultural and political context in which these works were produced.

The purpose of this course is to aid you in finding the confidence and inspiration to get writing, using photographs as stimulus to creating original writing and developing creative skills. Using your own photography, we will create a unique piece of writing which can be fact or fiction. You will learn some handy tips and tricks to really bring out the writer in you!

Take your speaking and listening skills to the next level with this ESOL course. Improving your communication skills will make you feel more confident interacting with others in the UK. ESOL entry 3 courses build on skills you learnt at entry 2. Gain confidence speaking in new and familiar situations and learn tools for effective communication. This is an English course for adults. It is aimed at speakers of other languages. ESOL classes are divided into three areas: reading, writing, and speaking & listening. If you’re helping others access ESOL courses in the UK, you’ve come to the right place.

This is a practical art course for those new to creating artwork and people with some experience. The course will introduce you to basic painting and drawing techniques. During the sessions your tutor will help you develop your skills in sketching, painting and using mixed media such as collage. You will also look at the work of famous painters from the past and contemporary artists. Students will learn about artists’ ideas and be encouraged to discuss and talk about their own personal artwork and inspiration for it. Some resources will be available but please do bring sketch pad and pencil, and any watercolours, and brushes.

Enhance your numeracy and English skills with our ESOL - Numeracy Skills for Care Employees course. Focus on practical maths and communication needed for the care sector. Ideal for non-native speakers working in or aspiring to work in care.

Chekhov found the nineteenth century novel form too ponderous: he wrote fiction, not novels, and everything he wrote, even in his teenage years, was rushed into publication. Through this single volume selection of his stories we explore the power of this meteoric phenomenon. NB the title of this course is a book title, and access to this book, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, published by Penguin and Vintage, is a necessary starting-point. We shall divide the book into roughly equal sections and study them week by week. Mostly the stories will be read in preparation for the classes, and the central activity of the course will be our own appraisal, through close discussion, of the meaning and suggestion of the individual stories, both as this affects us and as it may have affected the original reader. Since the stories are chronologically arranged, this will allow us a broad focus on Chekhov's development as a writer of prose narrative.

How art has been employed by belligerent countries in the First and Second World Wars, but also to represent war, often patriotically, over many centuries. We’ll look at a range of different examples from western countries to show the different approaches to art depicting war and its effects and how sometimes this has been directed by governments, not always simply for propaganda purposes.

Discover the wonderful world of sewing with this beginners sewing project course. It will help you to develop your craft in textile.. Whether you have studied sewing before or you are completely new to it, you will find value in this sewing course. Develop your skills in sewing, measuring and adjustment skills needed to start sewing, building confidence, and improve your knowledge on fabrics and textiles in general. You do not need any special tools to attend, just yourself and some enthusiasm. Start your sewing journey today by registering for this course and discover where your sewing journey takes you!

Wessex no longer exists yet its name still conjures images of Alfred the Great and the creation of England. The choice by Thomas Hardy of using Wessex as the fictional literary landscape of his novels further embeds this feeling of nostalgic association that people have. This course explores its creation and demise and why it still lives in our memory partly as a result of its historical significance but also because the sentimental effect of its name is consistently being used by advertisers and organisations to create a positive connection with customers and the public.

Every famous trial is a snapshot of history in the making. We see the cast of characters strutting on the stage that is the court room, acting out their roles against the backdrop of forces that are often beyond their control - the letter of the law, the power of the state, the force of prejudice, the facts of the case. Their focus is the outcome of 'their' trial, but ours is more than that; why is this trial famous, how did it change things, what lessons does it teach us? Join Peter Blood to study the people, issues and outcomes in five famous trials from British history, with a view to understanding their political, social and legal significance.