Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses

Study work of artists such as David Hockney, Richard Hamilton, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol within the context of the international Pop Art movement and the changing world of mass culture, consumerism, and celebrity.

Myth permeated all aspects of ancient society and much the same can be said today. Investigate the relevance and perseverance of the Greek myth and why these tales continue to fascinate.

Do you want to explore how to go about understanding a poem? How to do a close reading of a work of fiction? Come and find out what makes a literature class at City Lit so special.







The course also presents an overview of our literature offering for term two in fiction, poetry, drama and literary non-fiction (January to April 2025).



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Have you ever wondered what philosophy is? What do philosophers talk about? Can they tell you the meaning of life or is it just jargon and navel gazing? Come along and find out.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

This intensive workshop offers students insider, need-to-know information on securing a literary agent.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

This taster of forthcoming film courses at City Lit in 2025 offers you the chance to think about which ones to take while also providing an opportunity to explore some of the key areas in film studies more generally.



Learn how to evaluate and discuss films while enjoying a working example of a City Lit film studies class.



We will view clips from a wide variety of films, exploring themes and technique in British, European and modern American cinema. There will be a chance to review term two film courses at City Lit (January - July 2025).



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

This study day will examine the question of the association of women with magic and witchcraft.

Carefully-curated Christmas cornucopia overflows with seasonal films, from new entry The Holdovers (2023 Alexander Payne) to Home Alone (1990 Chris Columbus/John Hughes). This is a celebration of the genre of the Christmas film packed with clips and hidden gems: Scrooge (1951 Brian Desmond Hurst) remixed as a film noir, Lindsay Anderson’s Every Day Except Christmas (1957), his film about the old Covent Garden market later seen in My Fair Lady (1964) or Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972) just before it closed down. Full of delights, discussions and a grown man dressed as an Elf (2003).

Uncover the history of North London’s historic districts including Highbury, Friern Barnet and North Finchley, High Barnet, Tottenham, Muswell Hill, Wood Green, Golders Green and the Northern Heights, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Kentish Town, Camden Town and Belsize Park.







First meeting place: Saturday 13 January at 11am: Meet outside Highbury and Islington Tube Station (this could be altered if there are engineering works on the Victoria Line, please check before travelling).

Want to write scripts but don't know how to start? Discover the basics of screenwriting - character, conflict and more - on this short online course that will help you shape your ideas and get your story going.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Give creative writing a try on this fun and supportive short course. Ideal if you want to express yourself but need help in getting started. Guided exercises will encourage you to experiment and unlock your imagination.

Explore the visual culture of Victorian Britain through a range of artworks and disciplines including painting, sculpture, architecture, graphic design, furniture, fashion, and textiles. Includes a visit to the V&A Museum.

Elia Kazan bestrode the fifties: a very successful New York stage director who co-founded the Actor’s Studio in 1947 and was then lured to Hollywood. The Actor’s Studio achieved worldwide fame in record time because of the groundbreaking work of three Method-trained actors: Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando and James Dean; and four landmark films: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954) East of Eden (1955) and Baby Doll (1956)—all directed by Elia Kazan. “Of all the major directors at our studio, I most respected the genius of Hitchcock and Elia Kazan and left them alone to do as they wanted” - Jack Warner. As one of his actors put it: Kazan “was, by far, the greatest director I have ever worked with. A few words from him and you had a full idea of how to play each scene.”.

In April 1943, some 40,000 starving people were still incarcerated in terrible conditions within the Warsaw Ghetto. A few hundred among them – predominantly young people – led an armed rebellion against the Nazis. This course conveys the incredible story of their uprising but also reveals the background of Warsaw's vibrant but increasingly endangered Jewish life in the decades before the uprising. It describes the many forms of resistance that took place after the Nazi invasion, highlights key individuals who played a role, and provides an opportunity to reflects on different aspects of this tragic but inspiring episode during the Holocaust.