Culture, history & humanities - Online - Off Site

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

Join us in the heart of London for in-person classes. Our modern campus in Covent Garden is easy to reach and buzzing with creativity. With modern purpose-built facilities and state-of-the-art equipment, it’s the perfect space to support your learning journey. Explore our facilities >

Prefer learning online? Our live online courses bring expert teaching to you, wherever you are.

Whether you choose to study in-person or online, all our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. Wherever and however you want to learn, we’re here for you.

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.

 

We're delighted to share with you part of our upcoming Autumn term Culture and Humanities programme; please note that we expect the full Autumn Term programme to be on the website by the middle of May so check back soon!

 

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  1. The Courtauld: an introduction
    Last Few Places
    Course start date:  Mon 12 May 2025

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Julie Barlow
    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.
    Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00
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  2. How to read a film: a beginners' guide to cinema
    Course start date:  Mon 12 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Paul Sutton
    This course will develop your critical appreciation of the cinema by teaching you how to read and understand film texts. We will look at the elements that underpin film form – narrative, mise en scène, cinematography, editing and sound – alongside its historical development. We will consider film style by exploring classical, post-classical and art cinema and we will examine influential critical modes of analysis, such as genre, authorship and spectatorship.
    Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
    Rating:
    89% of 100
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  3. Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00
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  4. Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
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  5. Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00
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  6. Clocks, countdowns, chronology: how do we experience time?
    Course start date:  Mon 9 Jun 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Anita Kasabova
    Do we perceive time or the passage of events? Einstein famously considered time – or the distinction between past, present, and future – as an illusion. We examine subjective time or how we experience time, discussing the roles of memory, emotion, and narrative.
    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
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  7. Crime and punishment in Old London
    Course start date:  Mon 9 Jun 2025

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Diane Burstein
    Take a guided walk through the old City and its borders taking in beheadings and brutality at the Tower, tales of cutpurses and con men, the rise of prisons and the ghastly punishments that were meted out to wrongdoers. We go on a journey to Newgate Gaol, the Bridewell Prison and the places of execution including the notorious Tyburn Tree to hear tales of brutality, escapes and the bloodthirsty crowds who watched executions. Our tour includes London’s atmospheric legal quarter taking in the Old Bailey, The Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court to discover how London’s legal system developed .



    Meet outside St Paul’s Cathedral by the Statue of Queen Anne.
    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
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  8. A sense of place: Constable’s Hampstead
    Course start date:  Mon 9 Jun 2025

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Marilyn Greene
    Explore Georgian and Regency Hampstead walking in the footsteps of John Constable and seeing places he painted and quotes about his thoughts and feelings on Hampstead and his art.
    Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
    Rating:
    80% of 100
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  9. Ways into creative writing: a gentle pace
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 11 Jun 2025 (and 4 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Henry Martin
    Are you brand new to creative writing? Do you want to build your confidence in a supportive environment alongside other beginners? This gentle short-course guides students taking their first steps on the path to becoming a creative writer.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00
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  10. Constable and the British landscape tradition
    Course start date:  Mon 16 Jun 2025

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Marilyn Greene
    Discover the development of the British Landscape tradition from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Victoria and Albert Museum has the largest collection of John Constable sketches in the world, and we will discuss the works on display in detail and compare with works by J.W.M Turner and other artists on display.
    Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
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  11. Stream Form to Arts and Crafts: suburban architecture 1914-1939 (a guided walk)
    Course start date:  Mon 23 Jun 2025

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Marilyn Greene
    Starting at the Modernist East Finchley station, this walk goes back in time looking at architectural styles from between the wars on the North side of Hampstead Garden Suburb finishing with arts and crafts cottages. Starts outside the main entrance to East Finchley Station and finishes at Market Place on the A1 ( a short bus ride from East Finchley or Golders Green).
    Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
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  12. Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00
    Rating:
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  13. Ways into poetry
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 7 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Cecilia Knapp
    Relatively new to writing poetry? This inspiring course offers an opportunity to experiment with language and a variety of poetic devices alongside fellow emerging poets. Discover the key elements of a poem in a friendly and interactive class.
    Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £120.00
    Rating:
    95% of 100
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  14. Discover North London through walks
    Course start date:  Mon 15 Sep 2025

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Diane Burstein

    Discover the history of North London via guided walks. Great views, green spaces , places of worship, almshouses, plaques to famous people ,some lesser known museums, lots of hidden history and a couple of famous football stadiums will all feature..

    Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00
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  15. Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £120.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
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