Explore History, Culture & Writing
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.
- An Introduction to Psychoanalysis and FilmCourse start date: Sat 25 Mar 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mary WildA guide to contemporary films directed by women, examined through a psychoanalytic lens. An opportunity to discuss the ways in which cinema can continue to evolve to more authentically depict female desire, fears and subjectivity.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Write your screenplay: from idea to first draftCourse start date: Sat 25 Mar 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Clive FordA good screenplay starts with a good story but it also needs structure, good characters and interesting twists. This is a course for writers who have an idea they think is ready to go. We’ll look at the best ways to grab the viewers’ attention from the off, and at the end of the course you’ll get a chance to pitch your ideas.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Focus on: iconographyCourse start date: Sun 26 Mar 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Leslie PrimoEver wondered whether there’s a hidden meaning behind paintings? Discover why there are signs and symbols in paintings and how to find and interpret their meanings in medieval and Renaissance art.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Masters of cinema: Agnes VardaCourse start date: Sat 1 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Paul Sutton2019 was marked by the death of a true mistress of world cinema, Agne`s Varda. We will introduce you to her oeuvre, from La pointe courte (1955) to her final work, Varda par Agnes (2019), exploring her status as a ‘feminist’ icon. The digital was central to her later career, making her, perhaps, a multi-media artist rather than just a film director.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Ways into playwriting: a tasterCourse start date: Sat 8 Apr 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nicole AcquahExplore the fundamental techniques of writing for the stage in this introductory online course. Get to grips with dialogue, character, story and structure, and start work on your own play.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Writing an academic essayCourse start date: Mon 17 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sinead KeeganA crash course in essay writing – beginnings, middles and ends. Suitable for students on A level and access courses or undergraduates.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £50.00 - The 60 minute writerCourse start date: Tue 10 Jan 2023 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Tasha KavanaghFit creative writing into your busy day: a relaxed, informal rolling programme for writers of all levels of experience who enjoy being thrown new ideas and experimenting with poetry and prose.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £50.00 - The art of the dissertationCourse start date: Sat 22 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anne WilsonAre you approaching your dissertation year at undergraduate level? On this workshop you will receive expert guidance on how to structure and write your dissertation project to a high academic standard.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Writing and rewriting fairytalesCourse start date: Sat 22 Apr 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Helen CoxOnce upon a time there was a City Lit workshop all about writing fairytales. The quest: to inspire writers to pen stories of love, fear, forests, revenge, dragons, witches, kings, queens, frogs and magic.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Picture book writingCourse start date: Mon 13 Feb 2023 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Lou KuenzlerWould you like to write a picture book text for young children? This course is designed for children's writers and for illustrators wishing to write their own stories; a starter course to develop both your ideas and your technique.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £50.00 - Craft focus: grammar, syntax and style for creative writers - a tasterCourse start date: Sun 23 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: William BradyGreat poetry and prose begin when the writer puts the right words in the right places. Learn how and why the rules and conventions of language matter in this new course, which combines creative writing with a review of essential points of grammar.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - The US and China since 1971Course start date: Tue 25 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Online
Want to learn more about how the US-Chinese relations will define politics globally and most countries in the world over the 21st century? Join Phd Fellow Maria Papageorgou in this course to learn more.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £50.00 - Makers not muses: Claude Cahun, Eileen Agar and Isabel RawsthorneCourse start date: Wed 26 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chantal CondronExplore the work of three radical artists whose work and practice defied convention in modern art from the 1920s to 1960s. Discover how each artist challenged and transcended society’s expectations of being a ‘muse’ by living freely and making art in a variety of media, from painting and sculpture to collage, photography and performance.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £45.00 - European ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum: an introductionCourse start date: Thu 27 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Andreas PetzoldThe Victoria and Albert Museum has the finest and most comprehensive collection of ceramics in the world. The course will provide an introduction to the European collections discussing them from a variety of standpoints, including technique, style, imagery, function, types and designers.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Italian cinema: From Neorealism to the Genre FilmCourse start date: Fri 28 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cristina MassaccesiThis cinema course focuses on Italian cinema in the years between 1945 and 1980. It will provide you with an overview of the main historical, cultural and social aspects of Italian filmmaking in Italy by looking at the work of some of its most influential author/directors.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00
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