WEA courses

Explore the complex history of art destruction with our Art Appreciation: The Destruction of Art by Artists, Institutions, and Conflicts course. Learn about the motivations, impacts, and ethical considerations of art destruction throughout history. Ideal for art enthusiasts and anyone interested in the intersection of art, history, and ethics.

This course views painting produced in the twentieth century. The course will include developments of figurative and abstract painting. There will be views of artists already prominent in the early twentieth century and artists who set out after 1945 from a wide range of attentions. From those born in the nineteenth century to those born in the 1960s. The course will attend to direct visual experience of reproduction of the works involved linked to elements of comprehension and understanding through a considerable range of exciting encounters and engagements. There are no requirements from students prior the beginning of the course. Students would benefit from access to online sources during the course. Papers and images will be made available to students through the WEA Canvas site. You will need to have access to the internet to access the papers for this course. The course uses a secure digital learning portal for all the classes and for communications with the tutor and access to learning materials.

In this course, we will discuss in detail works from lesser-known painters of the Renaissance era. Since the High Renaissance is much better known, we will look at artists from the fifteenth century, who were very highly thought of at the time. They were influential and sought-after by the powerful in Florence.

Over the last twenty years, research and exhibitions have brought to our attention a great number of Victorian women artists. From Emily Mary Osborn and Lady Butler (aka Elizabeth Thompson) to Evelyn De Morgan, 19th century London did not lack great women artists. They lived in a society that globally remained hostile to independent career women. We will see how they trained, what they painted and his which style, and how they balanced the pressure of social norms and their personal ambition.

Are you looking for a relaxing hobby to help you unwind? Creating moments of calm in the day is essential for our emotional well-being and mental health. Step into the world of mindful crafts with this course and enjoy art for relaxation. This creativity course allows you to explore your art skills to find practices that soothe you. This creative painting course can help you find a relaxing hobby.

This drawing course is for beginners who wish to find out about the basic skills of drawing. The course content will cover a range of drawing techniques whilst investigating the qualities of the drawing materials. You will learn about expressive mark-making, quick timed sketching, contour drawing, tonal drawing whilst recording from primary and secondary resources. You will be discovering the importance of line, tone, cross hatching, shape, pattern, and texture and how to scale up using a grid system. You will be using a variety of media which will include, pencils, fine liners, chalk, and charcoal pencils.

If there is such a thing, at any time the “national mood” in any country is reflected in the cultural products of the period - visual works, theatre productions, the movies, the literature. The course will provide an overview of the decade from the artistic and cultural viewpoint. This will include the art movements which emerged such as Abstract Expressionism, exemplified by people like Jackson Pollock, music developments such as rock'n'roll famously promoted by Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and many others and epoch-making movies such as West Side Story.

This Art for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) course is a 4-week watercolour painting course for anyone wanting to learn or improve their painting skills. You will learn how to draw and paint within a group of like-minded people. Guidance and support are offered throughout the course from our talented tutor, to develop your artistic skills. You will also have the opportunity to connect with and support others in a friendly classroom environment and improve your English conversational skills. No previous skills in watercolours are needed to join this group.

Are you fascinated by art and how it developed, and would like to know more? The story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus has been at the forefront of western art for 2,000 years - from early inscriptions in the catacombs, medieval altarpieces and Leonardo’s Last Supper, to the twentieth century works of artists such as Marc Chagall and Graham Sutherland. This lavishly illustrated six week course takes you through the Easter story through the eyes of the major artists.

This is a mosaic course for anyone wanting to learn and improve their creative skills. You will learn how to create mosaics within a group of like-minded budding artists. Guidance and support is offered throughout the course from our talented tutor, to develop your artistic skills. You will also have the opportunity to connect with and support others in a small artistic community. No previous skills in mosaics are needed to join this group.