Explore History, Culture & Writing

Want to understand how the different political systems across the United Kingdom works? Join our tutor Natasha Ashman-Banks to explore!



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

The history of the cinema is a rich, rewarding and dynamic area of study. Cinema, because it is both an art form and an industrial product, can be studied from several different historical perspectives. These have included investigations into the history of technological development associated with cinema’s origins and its subsequent development, but historians have also explored its evolution into an art form. They have written about important individual figures or influential groups and have examined specific films in great detail. Historians have also examined the national, cultural, political and social contexts that might offer insight into the cinema at a given historical moment. They have examined the changing demographic and viewing habits of spectators and explored the mutability of cinemas themselves. With so much to consider and so many different approaches to take, the history of cinema continues to evolve. As such this advanced level film studies course will explore what it means to study film history, examine the various methodologies that one might take, while at the same time looking at relevant filmic and cinematic examples.

The term film noir has been used to describe visual style, themes and narratives in a range of American genres, particularly crime films of the 1940s and 1950s, but it has also been used to describe areas of British, French, and, as part of the giallo tradition, Italian cinema. Explore film noir through a range of critical concepts and historical periods, while assessing its enduring appeal.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

This comprehensive introductory course provides an overview of the main historical, technical and theoretical aspects of filmmaking and film analysis.

This is an introduction to the history of the Stalin regime in the Soviet Union between 1928 and 1941. Students will learn about key events during the Stalin years and how historians approach them.

The ‘mystical’ philosophy of Plotinus was key to the transition from ancient Greek to early Christian thought. This period gave rise to both modern esotericism and Christian theology. What ideas connect them?



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

The end of the Second World War marked a watershed in African history, catalysing resistance against colonial rule that had been in place for a century. This module examines the history of such growing anti-colonial resistance from the late 19th century onwards.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Do you ever get the sense that things are constantly speeding up? Well, you’re not the only one! Since industrialisation, writers and artists have explored the accelerating effect of technological advancement. From the new perceptions of space and time produced by the railways to Marinetti’s Manifesto of Futurism, art and culture has always been in dialogue with new technologies, and the new subjective experiences they produce has likewise influenced literary and artistic form. In this course we will explore a range of materials (literature, art, photography, film) from the last 200 years to consider how cultural representations of gathering speed continue to help us to negotiate the now.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

In the last decade, authoritarian populism and extremism has swept much of Europe and the world. What are its roots and why does it persist?



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

India's three indigenous religions - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism - have given rise to one of the oldest artistic civilisations in the world. Learn more about the art and architecture of Ancient India in this part 1 of the course.

Explore the roles, experiences, and contributions of women in global history. It will cover various time periods and regions to offer a comprehensive view of how women have shaped and been shaped by history.

The abrupt end of bi-polarity in 1989 and the advent of US unipolarity has now been replaced by a volatile multipolar world order. What does this mean for the West?



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.