Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses

British society is diverse, and not only in terms of faiths, ethnic backgrounds and other mostly visible differences. Neurodiversity is also a central aspect. Join us on this non-accredited course for a brief introduction to neurodiversity in society and discover how to engage with and support neurodivergent strengths.

This crucial course on contemporary cinema coincides with the sheer variety of films released immediately before BAFTA /Academy Awards season. Join a community of cinephiles to discuss and debate your favourite films of the past year and compile a list—The List of Best Films—added to and modified as new films are released each week. Students become critics in an ongoing class conversation, some even sharing their inner-geek in a guilt-free environment. As we meet on Mondays, some students extend the day by going to the special price Monday Matinees at several neighbourhood cinemas. Whether you call it homework or dedication, that’s entertainment!

For medieval pilgrims, visiting St Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a powerful spiritual experience. Today, although an established tourist destination, the modern encounter with the sacred arts of the famous Monastery and ‘God-Trodden Mountain’ is often curtailed by time and limited access. This course aims to explain its many treasures and biblical loca sancta in relation to medieval and modern pilgrimage.

American novelists have never shied away from exploring the urgent issues of their time in prose that is urgent, exhilarating, often hilarious, always compelling. The current generation of American writers is no exception. Race, sex, the changing demographics of the US,and the hopes and failures of the American dream figure prominently in current American writing. We’ll be reading some of the best novels that depict the conflicts and concerns of America today.

We will read and discuss three classic plays: Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, John Ford’s ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore and William Congreve’s The Way of the World. Focusing closely on structure, language and tone, we will analyse how dramatists across time have explored themes such as sexual politics, family relationships and revenge through their plays. In addition, we will consider the social, cultural and historical contexts in which the plays were produced.