WEA courses

Do you want to learn the basics of watercolours? Have you tried before and given up in frustration? Why not join this course for support and encouragement? Watercolour, simply put, is water mixed with pigment which is then applied to paper. But painting with watercolours is something entirely different. It can be complex, confusing, and fun at the same time. While not a medium to be controlled or manipulated, part of the very beauty of working with watercolours is learning to let go! Come and join us to find out more.

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. Leading a busy life leaves little room for calm and relaxation. This can make it hard for us to wind down and enjoy the present. But finding these moments of calm is essential for our emotional well-being and mental health. This short course will support you to improve your mental well-being through guided relaxation practice. You will develop your ability to calm the mind by learning to physically relax your body using body scanning and mindful movement. You will learn to calm the mind through breathing practices and mindfulness practice. You will learn to encourage deep rest of mind and body through guided Yoga Nidra practice and soothing visualisation.

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue in fortnightly sessions. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on thinking about how point-of-view impacts on structure. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers. This course uses the same content as the other fortnightly class, Creative Writing: Structure & Point of View Q00012330, the Thursday evening course, Structure & Point-of-View, and the Friday morning course, Creative Writing: Structure & Point-of-View, therefore you need only enrol on to one of them.

Do you often feel overwhelmed? Would you like to have more control over your emotions? This course can teach you how to build emotional resilience through effective emotional awareness and confidence-building exercises. It’s easy to feel like everything is getting on top of us during these uncertain times. This Mental Resilience training can help you identify small steps to maintain calm during challenging situations. Avoid feeling like everything is unravelling and learn to deal with challenges when they come. This Mental Resilience training will help you identify aspects of your life or situations that are difficult emotionally. Work together with the group to develop strategies to deal with these emotions without falling apart. Explore various confidence-building exercises to help you handle your emotions. Learn how to build emotional resilience. You may do activities such as presenting to the class or surveying friends and family members. Emotional Resilience courses help you excel in personal and professional situations. By the end of this emotional awareness course you will have tools and strategies to feel stronger in the face of challenging situations. Depending on your needs, there are various study options after this course. You may consider a course in Assertiveness or Confidence Building. Please bear in mind that you’ll need to have access to the internet to take this confidence course online. Communicate with your tutor and access learning materials through Canvas, the WEA’s digital learning portal. We’re committed to helping you access and enjoy adult education. If there’s something we can do to help you, we will. Your learning is our priority. The WEA is an adult education provider and we pride ourselves on our ability to create a friendly classroom atmosphere, in person and online.

To explore the basics of counselling and the profession and discuss how skills in counselling could support interactions in the workplace. This course focuses on an understanding of counselling and developing practical skills. The importance of counselling for the wellbeing of individuals and society is being increasingly recognised. You will be introduced to the nature of counselling and learn and practice active listening skills such as reflecting, paraphrasing, summarising, and giving feedback. The course is aimed at anyone who may be considering either a career in counselling, or wanting to develop valuable helping and listening skills, as well as anyone interested in developing self-awareness.

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.

Discover the fascinating life and work of 20th century artist, Paul Nash. Chart his significant impact on British art from 1914 to his death in 1946: from his experiences as Official War Artist during both World Wars; and his contribution to the development of British Surrealism and modern landscape. The course explores also Nash’s fruitful collaboration with his wife, the writer and Suffragette, Margaret Odeh. Central to this course will be a focus on Nash’s interest in spirituality and Eastern philosophies, exploring how his paintings articulated certain subjects and motifs that helped him make sense of a world of conflict.

The course is suitable for all ages and for those who have some previous knowledge of yoga practice. The practices will involve a wide range of techniques including posture, breathwork, mindfulness and meditation; study and reflection. Yoga is a traditional and contemporary class where each week there is a guided practice working on a variety of practices and techniques. These include posture, breathing and meditation practices. You will gain an understanding and insight into the subject area as well as leaning ways to improve your general, physical and mental health.

Osteoporosis is a health condition that weakens the bones making them fragile and more likely to break. The origin of the word is from the Greek language to mean 'porous bones'. Bones naturally have some empty space in them to allow them to bend and flex. Those with low bone density or osteoporosis have larger spaces and less bone mass - predisposing them to fractures and other bone injuries, especially in the hip, spinal vertebrae and some peripheral joints such as the wrists. Each week there is a simple, step by step guided practice to build bone strength, building and extending upon the previous week where we work on a variety of postures which are modified and adapted. These practices and techniques include slow, gentle, straightforward movements; breathing and relaxation techniques.

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.