WEA courses

Exploring National Poetry Day 2024: A 2-Hour Session In honour of National Poetry Day on October 3rd, 2024, this 2-hour session offers participants an immersive exploration of poetry's richness and relevance in contemporary culture. The session begins with an introduction to the history and significance of National Poetry Day, highlighting its purpose in celebrating poetic expression and promoting literacy. Participants will engage in interactive readings of diverse poems, spanning various styles, periods, and themes. Through guided discussions led by poetry enthusiasts and experts, attendees will analyse and interpret selected works, exploring their artistic techniques, meanings, and emotional resonance. The session will include creative activities designed to encourage participants to write their own poetry or share favourite poems that resonate with them personally. These activities aim to foster creativity, self-expression, and a deeper appreciation for the power of poetic language. Throughout the session, facilitators will emphasise the role of poetry in expressing emotions, addressing social issues, and preserving cultural heritage. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss how poetry enriches their lives and communities, reflecting on its ability to inspire empathy, provoke thought, and promote dialogue. By the end of the session, participants will have gained a deeper understanding of the diversity and impact of poetry. They will leave with newfound inspiration, a collection of shared poems, and a renewed appreciation for National Poetry Day's mission to celebrate and elevate the art of poetry in society. This session aims to cultivate a community of poetry enthusiasts and advocates, celebrating the beauty and power of poetic expression.

Get to the core of how to build or promote a business with this digital marketing course. Digital promotion activities such as online and social media marketing can help you support your company’s growth or build your own business. Get first-hand knowledge of key business activities that promote growth. Gain a clear understanding of digital marketing practices with this digital skills course. It’s ideal for flexible learning as you can choose topics that interest you from a variety of units. Pick up crucial skills for employment that can help you in any sector and build skills for your CV.

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to volcanoes, exploring their locations, mechanisms, and profound impacts on both life and landscapes. Students will delve into the geological processes that drive volcanic activity, understand the distribution of volcanoes across the globe, and study the various types of eruptions. The course also examines the environmental and societal effects of volcanic activity, from the creation of new landforms to the challenges posed by volcanic hazards. Through a blend of lectures, case studies, and hands-on activities, participants will gain a deep appreciation for these powerful natural phenomena.

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.

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.

The Victorian years saw unprecedented industrialisation which changed the face of Britain but also attitudes. Industrial developments were perceived as both positive and negative, but the countryside was viewed as a tradition, community and continuity. Yet images of the country, as well as the town, reveal the complexity of a society adapting to the modern world. Depiction of idyllic country scenes and grimy urban life reveal deep tension in Victorian society. This course will reveal that complexity and the contradictions which characterised the years 1837 to 1901 by examining paintings, engravings, photographs cartoons and the literature of the period.

If you find Shakespeare daunting and wonder what all the fuss is about, or if you are a devotee who wants to share and deepen your enjoyment of his work this course is for you. An opportunity to look in some depth at one intriguing play, Henry IV Part 1, by reading, discussing and watching extracts of performances. The play brings together full range of Shakespeare’s mature style, introducing the famous Falstaff, with high- and low-life equally represented. Among the themes are fathers and sons, duty and pleasure, morality in war, government and rebellion, all as applicable now as ever.

The short introductory course is to find out more about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The course will provide an initial understanding of the spectrum of autistic disorders and how they can affect people in a variety of ways, as well as exploring the importance of a person-centred approach to provide support. It’s important to be aware of the range of special needs you can encounter when dealing with others. Special needs education courses can help you understand what to expect and how to support all learning needs.

Fashion reflects the influence of politics, trade, social exchange and foreign encounter. In this course, we will explore the changing fashions of seventeenth-century Britain. Alongside sessions that consider the history of fashion are practical, hands-on sessions that explore the materials used, and construction techniques employed by makers of the period. You may not be an expert by the end, but you will have first-hand understanding of how, and with what, clothing of the 17th century was made.

Do you want to start learning English? Do you lack confidence when speaking in everyday situations like at the doctor’s, at your child’s school, out shopping or on public transport? If English is not your first language and you want to learn at a beginner level and become more confident to speak to people, this course will get you started with some of the words and phrases needed to communicate in everyday situations. It will also give you confidence with some basic digital communication skills. In addition, we will help you to practise giving your own information and filling in forms accurately.