Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses

Want to know more about the history of the Ottoman Empire and its legacies in the modern Middle East? Join us on this course to get an introduction.

Born out of the defeat of 1940, the Vichy regime is one of the darkest periods in French history. Even if Marshal Pétain pretended he was sheltering the country from excessive demands by the Nazis, the government and administration offered themselves to the service of the enemy, often for the worst.

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.

The workshop explores the life and times of two statesmen who, transcending the leadership of their own countries, came to shape the face of Europe in the nineteenth century.

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.

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.

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.

Trace the movements of the Chinese diaspora from the 10th century to the present day and dive into case studies highlighting the Chinese communities’ integration and influence in different regions of the world.

Explore the Cubism, focusing on Picasso as its key example, and the movements it influenced including Orphism, Futurism, and Vorticism, considering such issues as formal and material experimentation, and social context.