WEA courses

This course offers an exploration into the craft of junk journaling- a creative process that turns everyday items and discarded materials into beautiful, personalised journals. Junk journals are more than just notebooks; they are expressive, tactile creations that tell a story, preserve memories, and serve as a safe place for emotional expression. Alongside creating these unique journals the course will look into methods of collecting, organising and storing ephemera - the small pieces of paper, fabric or objects that make each journal personal and truly unique. On this course we will look at: The concept, history and purpose of junk journals. Where to find materials How to make embellishments for inclusion in our journals. Page layouts and focal point placement. No prior experience is necessary – just a love of creativity and a desire to learn new skills along with some basic paper-crafting supplies.

Would you like to draw and paint but think you can't? Do you lack confidence in beginning your artistic journey? This course is suitable for anyone who wants to have a go but doesn't know where to start. Working with our experienced and friendly tutor you will explore the fundamentals of drawing and basic painting techniques. This is a beginners course where no prior experience is needed. Each week we will take a step by step approach to exploring the fundamentals of drawing, building up to experimenting with some basic techniques, that will pave a way into painting.

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

Use Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Word to create letters, posters, and tables. Learn to use Outlook to email files as attachments and Canvas to upload your work. By the end, you'll be prepared for further online learning and gain skills that enhance your employability. Designed to equip you with practical digital skills, making you more efficient and proficient in using essential office software. Provides valuable tools for success in the digital age for personal development or career advancement. This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority. Participants must live in Coventry Area Postcodes CV1 to CV6 inclusive.

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.

Learners will work with the tutor to improve confidence in their ability to develop their artistic skills and creativity within oil painting. You will be developing the skills to create a detailed landscape painting; challenging yourself to try new and different subjects. You will learn using a range of different teaching and learning activities, to include watching and following step by step demonstrations, with one-to-one help and guidance from a friendly and encouraging tutor. You will learn in a safe, welcoming and supportive environment, working together with your fellow learners and the tutor. This course is suitable for a complete beginner but also for those wanting to improve their existing skills in painting. No prior knowledge is needed, just a desire to learn and begin your journey to develop your artistic skills.

This workshop will re-examine the golden rule in creative writing “Show don’t tell.” With published extracts from a variety of genres, both fiction and creative non- fiction, you will see what is meant by effective showing. How emotions, thoughts, reactions are described rather than explained to make the story so much more engaging. You’ll learn how to apply this to your work with great effect. Rather than ‘don’t tell’ you’ll learn where telling and summary are essential for pace and plot. This course is intended for those who have some experience of creative writing. This course is funded by the Education Skills and Funding Agency.

This course will consider and analyse the following authors and their texts. These are: The Stranger’s Child - Alan Hollinghurst. The Blue Flower - Penelope Fitzgerald. A Pale View of Hills - Kazuo Ishiguro. Last Orders - Graham Swift. On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan. These texts will provide a window into the different regions of Britain during the last fifty years, decades of major change in the social fabric and political nature of Britain, though several of our texts will trace these changes back to the earlier part of the twentieth century, and in doing so, we will encounter themes of identity, class and the decline of Empire. There will be much to prompt discussion and challenge our assumptions. This course is funded by Greater London Combined Authority.

Welcome to Term 2 of Learning Italian! This 10-week course builds on your foundational skills, focusing on practical situations. You’ll learn to book a hotel room, navigate train and bus stations, and shop at markets. Through interactive lessons, role-playing, and listening activities, you’ll gain confidence in handling common scenarios. Topics include making reservations, understanding schedules, purchasing tickets, and shopping for goods. Cultural insights will deepen your appreciation of Italian traditions. By the end of the course, you’ll be comfortable using Italian in various everyday contexts. Join us to continue your Italian language journey! Buon viaggio!

Do you avoid certain conversations because they might be difficult to have? What might be the effect of this behaviour on you and others at work or at home? All of us tend to stick to certain patterns in communicating and some of these might be ineffective in some circumstances. Find out what your natural style is and investigate whether other styles might be more effective with the conversations you would like to have. Learn to use a simple framework to make sure your view come across and investigate how to avoid some of the common pitfalls in communication. Join this course to practice effective strategies to manage conflict and have more productive conversations.