WEA courses

For many prospective art students, the thought of learning to draw a portrait is quite daunting, in fact some would say it is their nemesis! However, challenging yourself to confront this can be incredibly rewarding. The first time you achieve something akin to a real, convincing likeness is quite thrilling, and rest assured, it is a taught skill. This course is structured so you will learn skills of proportion, perspective, line, tone, and colour and be able to clearly analyse requirements for the task. This course is for complete beginners and those looking to improve their skills and develop their own style.

Learning about Abstract Art is fascinating and rewarding. This course covers its evolution from 19th-century pioneers like JMW Turner to movements such as Impressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Modernism, and up to the 21st century. It also highlights lesser-known female artists who have been overlooked by the art world. Each lesson starts with an interactive visual presentation featuring these examples. You’ll learn and practice using various drawing and painting materials, including inks, chalk, oil pastels, watercolour, acrylic, collage, and mixed media. This course is suitable for complete beginners and those wanting to improve their skills and develop their own style.

Learning about Abstract Landscape Art is a fascinating and rewarding topic; it tracks an evolving story looking at different ages, from 19th Century innovators such as JMW Turner, through to Impressionism, Cubism, Futurism and Modernism in general, right up to the 21st Century. This course will also introduce you to some lesser known female artists who have been formerly neglected by the art establishment. Inspired by these examples, shown at the beginning of each lesson in an interactive visual presentation, we will develop skills in a range of drawing and painting media, including drawing inks, chalk and oil pastels, watercolour, acrylic, collage and mixed media. This course is for complete beginners and those looking to improve their skills and develop their own style.

Many of us live in style. This course is specially designed for them. On this course you will not only learn to construct interesting projects but use them practically. While creating these lovely projects you can meet like-minded people in the group. This course will help you to concentrate and enjoy the moment while creating projects that are useful, creative and sustainable.

This course will help you develop further watercolour techniques interrelated with drawing skills, and in connection with inspiring examples in art history. It will help you learn classical techniques in a subtle way, by relating them to examples by various masters of drawing and watercolour (such as Dürer, Turner or Cezanne) and contemporary artists (such as David Hockney or Anselm Kiefer). If you would like to have a fresh view of watercolour painting and drawing, and learn how to achieve expressivity by carefully combining techniques such as glazing, graded wash or cross-hatching, this course will offer you an overview and will inspire personal artworks of great subtlety and sensitivity It will also encourage you to create your own original artworks based on the techniques learned and it will bring a fresh perspective on known techniques and styles, if you have already practised them in your own paintings. You will need to bring your own materials, paints and paper along for this course. The tutor will let you know what to bring

Develop essential digital skills with our Digital Skills for Everyday Living: Beginners course. Learn the basics of using computers, navigating the internet, and understanding essential software applications. Ideal for individuals with little or no digital experience looking to build confidence in their digital abilities.

On this lecture style course, you will learn how in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there was intense rivalry between various merchant groups and their governments to capture the trade between Europe and the sources of spices and teas in the Far East. Topics will include the impact of these rivalries upon the area and the fights to sell products into Europe and America. These companies dominated the regions in which they operated until eventually they themselves came under governmental control and were dissolved. No experience necessary, just an open-minded interest in history.

Develop your speaking and listening skills with this non-accredited course. This English course is for speakers of other languages and is a face-to-face class in a local centre. This ESOL Speaking & Listening course helps people who want to inprove their basic English. It will help you gain confidence to communicate in everyday situations and be part of your community. What we will cover: - Asking for and giving basic personal details/information, asking for help, talking about likes, dislikes and feelings, and following instructions.

This course is suitable with learners who wish to improve their English to get ready to apply for a job, who are unemployed and looking for work and who also have English as a second language. Learners with English as a second language, who are looking for work and receiving benefits and aged 19 plus are eligible. If you are in receipt of work-related benefits. This course will help you to learn basic English to help you to work towards getting the job that you want. You will learn basic English that you can use to apply for jobs and prepare for interviews.

To attend this partnership course, you will have to register via EVENTBRITE Carbon Literacy – January 2025 ticket at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/carbon-literacy-january-2025-tickets-880716716407?aff=odcleoeventsincollection&keep_tld=1 as well as via WEA. You will have to make a payment via EVENTBRITE and cannot proceed with the course if you have not done both. Carbon Literacy is a term used to describe an awareness of climate change, and the climate impacts of humankind’s everyday actions. This course is designed specifically for charities and social enterprises working in public leisure and culture and gives you the knowledge and tools available to take impactful climate action.