Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses

This course explores some of the most elaborate and powerful displays of the Graeco-Roman world. Designed to entertain, inform, and elicit support, often at times of great political or religious significance, they were unforgettable, and have long exercised an influence on our own understanding of the nature of power.

Are you just starting to write poetry? This shorter version of our introductory Ways into poetry course offers an opportunity to experiment with language and a variety of poetic devices. Discover the key elements of a poem in a friendly and interactive class.

In this course we will look at aspects of the wide-ranging and intriguing philosophy of Simone Weil, one of the 20th century’s most intriguing and mysterious thinkers.

This course explores the historical origins, key developments in leadership and ideas, key policy and its foundations, recent electoral success, and support within the wider community of the major political parties in contemporary Britain. Join us to discuss!

We examine current 21st century continental philosophy by Agamben, Žižek, Nancy, and Badiou, focusing on debates surrounding technology, ideology, community, truth, and politics. We question how philosophy adapts and evolves to address contemporary challenges.

Are you brand new to writing poetry? Do you want to build your confidence in a supportive environment alongside other beginners in the craft? This gentle short course guides students taking their first steps on the path to becoming a poet.

Join our journey, examining sociological and criminological perspectives of crime, deviance and



the criminal justice system and how these how these have premeditated



everyday views of crime and criminality.

Come and join us for a taste of what happens at the Cultureplex Ciné-Club. For one day only, and during a compressed hour and a half, we will watch and discuss a short film replicating the structure of the upcoming Cine-Club course, where we watch and discuss full-length feature films. The Cultureplex Ciné-Club course takes its cue from the famous Parisian Ciné-club set up by the celebrated critic and writer, André Bazin, however, this incarnation of the film club will offer an opportunity not only to have a taste of what the full Cine-Club course (running throughout next year) has to offer, but it will also allow for the viewing of a short film, followed by detailed discussion and debate. The film will be introduced, placed in both its cinematic, cultural and historic context as well as being situated within the director’s body of work. In sharing our viewing in City Lit’s premier screening room, the Cultureplex, we will approximate the experience of watching film in the cinema, one that is intense and fully focussed in a way that other modes of viewing often are not. After the screening we will devote the rest of the class to a collective exploration of the film, led by the tutor, but involving everyone in a participatory discussion that will allow all to express their responses, their views, their thoughts on the film screened.

Made abundantly clear in recent years, crises are a fairly common feature of political life. Great leadership is less common. In this short taster session Mark Malcomson, Principal of City Lit, will discuss political leaders from both sides of the Atlantic: what makes a great leader? What doesn't?