Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses

Explore how 19th century European artists from the Impressionists to Art Nouveau transformed their artistic language with the study of Japanese prints.

Discover the untold stories and hidden legacies of women in modern China in this illuminating one-day course. Traverse time, from the late Qing Dynasty to the present, to examine how women have shaped and been shaped by social, political, and cultural currents.

F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) is acknowledged as one of the all-time greats of cinema, expressing as one critic describes it, the ‘poetry of fear’ and as one of the first feature length vampire films it’s influence, and legacy has been widely felt. Chris McKay’s Renfield (2023), comes just over one hundred years after Nosferatu and marks one of the most recent instalments in a genre that continues to renew itself for each generation of film viewers. Exploring a range of key vampire films from across this century of cinema, this course will explore why the vampire film remains such a popular sub-genre of the horror film and it will consider why it continues to exercise such power over its spectators.

Investigate the work of the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez, including enigmatic paintings such as Las Meninas (1656), and learn about how his art relates to his political role as court painter to Philip IV. Includes visit to the National Gallery.

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 Impressionist movement, focusing on Monet as its key example, considering such issues as stylistic progress, artistic influences, material developments, modern subject matter, and social context.

Explore the splendour and technical sophistication of the decorative arts during the Mughal era (1526-1857) in South Asia in this introductory course.

This course explores Mary Shelley’s iconic novel, Frankenstein. We will consider the novel’s literary, socio-political, philosophical, and scientific contexts, alongside thinking about its narrative themes and techniques. We’ll also touch upon its rich ‘afterlife’, thinking about some of the ways the novel has been reimagined in later adaptations, and asking why this story continues to have such resonance today.

The Divine Comedy is an imaginary journey through the three realms of the afterlife, a fascinating compendium of life in 14th century Italy. Dante's ability to depict humanity in all its aspects is timelss and has fascinated readers ever since.

Explore the experimental use of colour and form in the late nineteenth century post-Impressionists and Symbolists paintings, and study its impact on the Fauve artists, with focus on Matisse.

Discover and explore key principles, knowledge and skills for interpreting the Bible, and apply them to select texts from the Old and New Testament.

The Surrealist movement marks its centenary in October 2024, marking the moment that the First Surrealist Manifesto was launched in Paris led by its chief protagonist, André Breton. Come and celebrate this art historical landmark in this special workshop dedicated to Surrealist art. Get closer to the roots of the movement, discover its leading and less well-known artists; have a go at automatic drawing; and engage with Surrealism’s central themes of the dream world, unconscious and desire.

What is anime? What are the artistic and narrative features that make these films so instantly recognizable? This one-day film course will provide an overview of the history of Japanese animation cinema, its inextricable links with manga and its multi-faceted and varied productions that range from children’s films to genres such as cyberpunk and yaoi. During the course, we will watch and discuss clips from a variety of production companies and directors, such as Haya Miyazaki, the Studio Ghibli and Katsuhiro Otomo.