WEA courses

This course aims to enable you to make sense of art works you might encounter in a gallery. You will fit 100 paintings- or two-dimensional pieces- into a time line of historical events, places, styles and paradigms. Using art appreciation skills from the first session , you will examine works in a virtual tour of a major gallery that come from another time and place. The course will enable you to create your own personal ‘Gallery of 100 paintings.

Learning about Abstract 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.

Discover the art of portrait painting with our Art Practical: Learn to Paint Portraits course. Learn techniques for capturing likeness and expression in your paintings. Ideal for artists of all levels looking to develop their portrait painting skills.

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.

An introduction to the rich history of painting in Spain, which had produced some of the most important and influential artists in art history - from Baroque masters Velázquez, El Greco, and Murillo to romantic figurehead Goya and impressionist Sorolla to the vital role Spanish painters like Dalí, Picasso and Miró played in the development of 20th Century Art.

The act of looking is so closely bound up with the act of writing. Novels depend upon those moments when an author presses the pause button and allows their characters to just stop and look at something. This course will explore how photos, especially, can be used as a vital stimulus for creative writing. Over two days, you will explore the work of some of the world’s finest photographers, from Andre Kertesz to Garry Winogrand, all projected upon the screen. You will then be encouraged to look even closer and see where these images take your own writing. The course will also consider how established writers have engaged with the art of photography, from John Berger to Susan Sontag, Tony Harrison and Geoff Dyer. Most importantly, you will encourage you to find a way of using your own photos as a way of unlocking your own hidden powers of writing and observation. Come along and join our friendly lipreading group at The Centre in Newlyn. This class is suitable for all levels of lipreaders and is ideal for those recently experiencing hearing loss. Our experienced tutor will guide you through the basics of lipreading and show you how to practice your lipreading skills in everyday life. Research has shown that attending a lipreading class can give you greater: • Confidence to communicate with others • Control over your hearing loss, as you develop new communication skills • Independence, as you’re less reliant on others to help you follow conversation (Source RNID.org.uk) You will learn in a supportive environment alongside other learners who will be able to share their experiences of hearing loss and learn how to overcome them together

William Blake (1757 – 1827) is simply the greatest poet/pictorial artist Britain has ever seen! His themes are universal and his demand that society recognise the folly and inhumanity that prevailed unfortunately is still relevant. Moulded by the radicalisation of the English Civil War, his words and images are a call to arms to stand up for the vision that Britan could be if the shackles of convention were broken.

This day school aims to introduce learners to the stories of some pioneering women from early cinema history who were hugely important to the development of the art, craft, and business of film, but who modern movie goers may not know. We’ll look at the unique challenges they faced as women in their times, their contributions – in some cases – deliberately overlooked, but also the immense possibilities of the emerging cinema industry. With a wealth of clips and background material.

This 5 week course delves into the works of 5 street artists including Damian Ortega, Antony Gormley, Marc Quinn, Rachel Whiteread and Micheal Craig-Martin. Each week explores key art concepts including, colour and composition through sampleas of their work. You will engage in group discussions, take notes, and recall information. By the end of the course, you will be able to name significant sculptors, describe their artistic methods, sport similarities and differences among their work, deconstruct essential components of artworks, and select a preferred piece based on personal opinion.

This course will cover the changing currents of the ways in which the Visual Arts in Britain have evolved over the Twentieth Century. It will be broken into 4 parts; the pre 1914 period, the War and its aftermath, the post WW2 years and lastly the period 1980 onwards. The foci will be on changing relationships with international art, the impact of the Wars on art; and also how art maps in in relation to evolving concerns about equality and in relation to rapid urban and social change