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WEA courses
Displaying 1 - 10 of 46
Displaying search results for: "british history"
History: The English Renaissance
This course will introduce a fascinating period of English
history, during which poetry, prose and the arts produced
some of the touchstones of British culture.
We will explore a range of poetry including Thomas Wyatt’s,
love poetry, Ralegh’s verse, Edmund Spenser’s homage to
Elizabeth I, John Donne’s astonishing poems of love and
divinity, and Milton’s early poems; playwrights, Shakespeare
and Marlowe, and prose writers such as Tyndale and his
translations from the Bible, Cranmer’s Book of Common
Prayer and extracts from the King James’ Bible.
Additional context for the period will be provided from
paintings, contemporary documents and letters.
All texts will be provided on Canvas.
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Course Information
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Dates:Tue 17/09/2024 -
Tue 26/11/2024Times:7:00pm - 9:00pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Stephen SmithCourse code:Q00017453How you'll learn:OnlineStatus:Waiting listFee rangeFree to £74.00
History: Beginners' History : Before 1066
In this term, we begin by considering the later reign of King Eadgar and his efforts to achieve a kind of unified England, but also how English practices and texts became unique. This will involve examining the peculiarities of the English Benedictine Reform Movement, the impact it made among the clergy and also social and cultural consequences, as well as for the English monarchy itself. After that, we will address the feuds, administrative and executive failures of the monarchy in the years after Eadgar’s death, and why these errors would finally cause the downfall of the House of Wessex.
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Course Information
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Dates:Tue 17/09/2024 -
Tue 10/12/2024Times:11:45am - 1:45pmDuration:12 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Gary SlatorCourse code:Q00015931How you'll learn:OnlineStatus:Waiting listFee rangeFree to £88.80
Art Appreciation: Royal Portraits (1395 - 1658)
During this five week course we will explore a number of
portraits of British Monarchs. We will discover the
anonymous Wilton Diptych, Holbein’s portrayal of Henry VIII,
the evolving portraits of Elizabeth I throughout her life; the
paintings of Charles I by Anthony Van Dyck, and several
portraits of the de-facto monarch Oliver Cromwell.
The course will introduce the lives of the artists, the historical
and socio-political contexts of the paintings, and discuss the
changing perceptions of the monarchy as shown in this 250
year long history.
Images of the portraits will be available for you online. Come
along and tap into your inner art-critic.
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Course Information
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Dates:Tue 17/09/2024 -
Tue 15/10/2024Times:2:00pm - 4:00pmDuration:5 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Stephen SmithCourse code:Q00017463How you'll learn:OnlineAvailability:4 places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £37.00
World Cinema
We will consider a range of films, from classics to contemporary cinema. We will discuss the style and meaning of diverse extracts drawing on key ideas from Film Studies. We will consider films from diverse countries, comparing and contrasting these with American and British cinema. The class will be organised around discussion of selected extracts, with guidance on points to look for, including different aspects of film such as the screenplay and cinematography. Students will be encouraged to develop their responses in small groups. Case studies will be included on Alfred Hitchcock and British cinema.
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Course Information
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Dates:Tue 17/09/2024 -
Tue 26/11/2024Times:10:00am - 12:00pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:Compass Theatre (Ickenham)
Glebe Avenue
Ickenham
UB10 8PDTutor:Daniel WilliamsCourse code:Q00017582How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £100.00
WEA Membership
For just £15 a year, you can:
- Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
- Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
- Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
- Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
- Attend our members’ annual conference.
Just add us to your basket to sign up today!
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Membership Information
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Duration:12 monthsFee:£15
British Literature in the 1950s
In this course we will discuss and analyse the following
authors and their works. These are:
Look Back in Anger - John Osborne.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark.
The Vet's Daughter - Barbara Comyns.
A Voice Through A Cloud - Denton Welch.
A Kind of Loving - Stan Barstow.
These texts are an eclectic blend of plays, novels and the
autobiographical in the case of Denton Welch, an eccentric
and now largely forgotten.
There will be great scope for discussion and the voicing of
opinions, and you will be encouraged to develop your own
theories and interpretations in a supportive atmosphere.
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Course Information
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Dates:Wed 18/09/2024 -
Wed 27/11/2024Times:10:30am - 12:30pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:Duke Street Church
Quadrant Road
Richmond
TW9 1DHTutor:Stephen SmithCourse code:Q00017580How you'll learn:In venueStatus:Waiting listFee rangeFree to £100.00
History: British History through the lives of 10 women
This 10-week course offers a unique exploration of British history by examining the lives and contributions of ten remarkable women who left indelible marks on society, culture, and politics. From ancient warriors to pioneering scientists and influential writers, each woman represents a distinct era in British history, shedding light on the struggles, achievements, and societal changes of their times. Throughout the course, we will delve into the lives of these extraordinary women, analysing their impact on British society and their enduring legacies. By studying their stories, learners will gain a deeper understanding of key historical events, social movements, and cultural shifts that have shaped the fabric of Britain.
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Course Information
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Dates:Thu 19/09/2024 -
Thu 05/12/2024Times:2:00pm - 4:00pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:St John's United Reform Church Orpington
Lynwood Grove
Orpington
BR6 0BGTutor:Kate AntoniouCourse code:Q00017272How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £100.00
Literature: 20th Century British Women's Short Stories
This course will range from the beginning of the twentieth
century until its end, and explore the wealth of short stories
written during this period by women. We will encounter the
usual suspects such as Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf,
Elizabeth Bowen and Doris Lessing, but the course will also
assess the stories of less well-known writers, many of whom
are worthy of much deeper study. These writers will emerge
from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
As all our texts are by women, we will discover the
importance of these voices, often disappeared in a patriarchal
society, and recognise how vital these women’s voices were
and are.
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Course Information
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Dates:Fri 20/09/2024 -
Fri 29/11/2024Times:10:00am - 12:00pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Stephen SmithCourse code:Q00017460How you'll learn:OnlineAvailability:7 places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £74.00
History: Silence in court - Five famous trials from British History
Every famous trial is a snapshot of history in the making. We see the cast of characters strutting on the stage that is the court room, acting out their roles against the backdrop of forces that are often beyond their control - the letter of the law, the power of the state, the force of prejudice, the facts of the case. Their focus is the outcome of 'their' trial, but ours is more than that; why is this trial famous, how did it change things, what lessons does it teach us?
Join Peter Blood to study the people, issues and outcomes in five famous trials from British history, with a view to understanding their political, social and legal significance.
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Course Information
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Dates:Tue 24/09/2024 -
Tue 22/10/2024Times:10:30am - 12:30pmDuration:5 sessionsLocation:St Paul's Church Hall (Chichester)
Churchside
Chichester
PO19 6FTTutor:Peter BloodCourse code:Q00009430How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:6 places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £42.00
Film & Media: Exploring British Culture through Cinema
Explore the rich history and cultural significance of British cinema in this comprehensive course. Analyse iconic films, directors, and movements that have shaped the British film industry from its inception to the present day.
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Course Information
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Dates:Tue 24/09/2024 -
Tue 15/10/2024Times:9:30am - 11:30amDuration:4 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Andrew RolesCourse code:Q00016334How you'll learn:OnlineAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £29.60
British Novels in the 70s and 80s (Part 1)
This course will consider and analyse the following authors
and their texts. These are:
Magnus - George Mackay Brown.
Border Country - Raymond Williams.
They - Kay Dick.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John Le Carre.
Waterland - Graham Swift.
These texts will provide a window into the different regions of
Britain during two 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.
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Course Information
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Dates:Wed 25/09/2024 -
Wed 04/12/2024Times:2:15pm - 4:15pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:Rose House (London)
70 Barnes High Street
London
SW13 9LDTutor:Stephen SmithCourse code:Q00017363How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:6 places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £100.00