Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses
Explore our extraordinary range of History, Culture and Writing courses and lectures. We offer both introductory and specialist in-depth courses to suit all levels of interest and experience, from ‘How to read a film’ and World literature, to Creative non-fiction writing courses and American history and Politics courses.
Our tutors are experts in their fields and experienced educators; many have published, teach in universities or share their expertise in the media. Tutors share their knowledge and passion through presentations, readings, interactive discussion and exercises, analysis, and other activities.
Many students return to take more courses, telling us they enjoy being part of our City Lit Learning community.
Our popular courses often sell out quickly, so we invite you to browse and book your place now.
- Introduction to moral philosophy
Course start date: Tue 16 Sep 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ariel KernbergWhat’s the right thing to do? But what does ‘right’ actually mean? And what reason do I have to do it? Join us as we grapple with these fundamental questions. NB: No class on Tues 28th October.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Writing fantasy stories Course start date: Wed 24 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Victoria M. AdamsBuild fantastical worlds, fill them with compelling characters and learn how to structure innovative plotlines in this perfect introduction for those with a passion for fantasy.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £130.00 - Iconography and iconology: secrets of the old masters revealed Course start date: Mon 29 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Leslie PrimoEver wondered whether there’s a hidden meaning behind paintings? Discover why there are signs and symbols in paintings and how to find and interpret their meanings, in paintings from medieval to Baroque and beyond.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00 - Introduction to the Italian Renaissance Course start date: Tue 30 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elisa StafferiniExplore the interaction of ideas, society and visual culture in Renaissance Italy (1400–1600). Study works by renowned artists such as Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Titian, alongside lesser-known objects. Examine materials, techniques and iconography, and uncover how art expressed religious, mythological and political ideas of the time.
Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £181.00 - The introduction to art history Course start date: Tue 30 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sophie RhodesDo you enjoy looking at art but want to understand it more deeply? This introduction to art history course will help you build confidence in interpreting art by exploring topics such as beauty, the role of the artist, gender, the art market, and global art history—giving you fresh insight into what you see in galleries and museums.
Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00 - An introduction to art history Course start date: Wed 8 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Thomas BalfeArt history is much more than decoding secrets and symbols. It is about critical thinking and empathy, understanding how an artwork reflects an artist’s interpretation of their world, and what it says to you about our world now. This course is designed to build your confidence in understanding visual art of the Western tradition. It is designed for both the absolute beginner and those with some existing art historical knowledge.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00 - Philosophy reading group: Slavoj Zizek's The Sublime Object of IdeologyCourse start date: Mon 12 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Christopher HornerŽižek’s The Sublime Object of Ideology is a cornerstone of contemporary critical theory. It combines Marxist critique, Lacanian psychoanalysis, and Hegelian dialectics to explore the ways ideology shapes our perception of reality and influences human behaviour.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00 - When Cinema meets MusicCourse start date: Mon 12 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
This online film studies course will offer an introduction to the relationship between film and music from an historical, political and cultural viewpoint. Key theorical concepts will be introduced to discuss landmark film scenes and evaluate the impact music has on the audience, the role it can play in the narrative, in the editing style, in relation to film space and time. We will focus on key filmmakers, key music styles and specific cinematic genres to offer an overview of the historical evolution of music in films from the beginnings of the sound film to new contemporary approaches. We will as well discuss how instruments and musicians are depicted in films, from historical period films, album videos, biopics to documentaries from all over the world.
Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00 - Introduction to art history Course start date: Mon 29 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayAre you interested in art and want to get more out of looking at art and exhibitions? Want to know what an art historian does? Develop your interpretative skills by exploring at how art is made and what social and cultural factors construct our understanding of it.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - An introduction to the philosophy of mindCourse start date: Tue 13 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ariel KernbergThe saying 'No Brain, No Pain' is hardly controversial. But is having an experience or—indeed—entertaining a thought nothing else than neural activity? In this course we will look at this and some related philosophical questions. NB There will be no class on 17/02/26.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £181.00
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