Culture, history & humanities

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.

Courses available both in-person and online

We offer a range of long and short courses allowing you to choose between in-person and online learning.

Learn in the centre of London with our in-person courses. Our purpose-built facilities in Covent Garden mean we are ideally located and easy to get to. 

See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, we've got the class for you.

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  1. The beauty of the medieval manuscript
    Course start date:  Wed 20 Nov 2024 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Emma Rose Barber
    It is generally accepted that medieval illuminated manuscripts are very beautiful things. Something to do with all that gold-leaf maybe. While we cannot hold them in class, close-up digital reproduction will allow us to see if they really are as beautiful as we are told. Indeed, are none of them ugly? Join this course to find out.
    Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00
  2. Art and empire: in the early modern era
    Course start date:  Wed 8 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Emma Rose Barber
    Study the art of the Dutch Golden Age from 1600 to 1750 looking at the luxurious, tactile paintings of domestic life and landscape of this gloriously rich period in art. Consider the role that commerce, travel and trade played in how these paintings were made and through critical analysis of texts, try and evaluate the validity of the term ‘Golden Age’.
    Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
    Rating:
    87% of 100
  3. Introduction to art history
    Course start date:  Mon 13 Jan 2025 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Are 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.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00
    Rating:
    99% of 100
  4. Medieval Britain & Europe: Makers of the Medieval North part 1
    Course start date:  Wed 15 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Michael Bloomfield
    Explore the lives and achievements of some of the most influential men and women of faith and action in northern Europe during the earlier medieval period.
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £84.00
  5. The art of the Burgundian Netherlands c. 1360-1480
    Course start date:  Wed 15 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Julia Musgrave
    Explore how the extravagant lifestyle of the Burgundian court provided opportunities for an opulent Burgundian style to be developed and disseminated across Europe in the late middle ages and into the renaissance.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
  6. Contemporary Asian fictions
    Course start date:  Wed 22 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Aamer Hussein
    Discover a careful selection of novels from East and South Asia, by writers living at home and abroad, which reflect the thematic versatility and narrative innovations which are bringing readers to these novels. Ranging from large canvases to intimate portraits, the choice includes: At Dusk by Hwang Sok-Young (Korea), Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai (Japan), Cocoon by Zhang Yueran (Japan), Brotherless Night by V.V Ganeshanathan (Sri Lanks/US).
    Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00
  7. Ways into advanced art history: historiography
    Course start date:  Wed 26 Feb 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Develop a greater understanding of art history and how to analyse the cultural meaning of an artwork by going in-depth with the ideas of prominent art historians. This course looks at the history of art history – the history of interpretation.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
  8. Homes, houses and art in Britain 1900-1960
    Course start date:  Wed 5 Mar 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Emma Rose Barber
    Knock on the door of artists’ houses and studios from 1900-1960 to experience exciting and visually dazzling spaces created over the course of their careers. At a time when artists were beginning to forge their own brave new visual worlds, this course considers what the homes might tell us about the artists and how they wanted their homes to be seen.
    Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
  9. Genres in art
    Course start date:  Wed 5 Mar 2025

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Emma Rose Barber
    We will look at the work of the 18th century artists in the National Gallery who epitomize the genres of art, the period when these categories were established. But we will also consider all the genres for the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries with the art on display in the gallery. And we might even wonder where religious subjects fit into this categorization, if at all!
    Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
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