Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses

In this course we shall examine women in myth, women in religion and the everyday life of women. It will conclude with a visit to the British Museum.

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).

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 online 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.



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

The Courtauld collection includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and decorative arts, ranging from the medieval period to the present day. This two-part course is an opportunity to explore an outstanding collection which includes one of the richest holdings of early Italian art in Britain alongside Impressionist and Post-Impressionist gems such as Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.

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.

Philosophical life coaching helps you lead a more satisfying and meaningful life by using insights and methods from the great thinkers. This introductory workshop will show you some of the most interesting ways it can be of help. No previous experience required.

Come and explore with us the idea of ‘myth’. We will look at creation myths in Ugarit, in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, ancient Greece and in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible.

Descriptive language can provide texture and clarity to a story, promoting reader engagement and a sensory experience. In this short course, learn how to create vivid descriptions that will elevate your prose. This course will support writers of fiction and non-fiction.



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

With films such as Metropolis (1927) and Sunrise (1927) many critics felt that silent cinema had attained a level of sophistication that could not be surpassed by the 'talkies', but the imaginative use of sound and dialogue, in, for example, Blackmail (1929) and M (1931), could not be denied. Explore this exciting, transitional moment in cinema through these and other key films of the period.



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

Learn to write about your specialist expertise in a way that will appeal to a wider reading audience.



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