History, Culture & Writing
We offer an extraordinary range of courses during the day, in the evening and at weekends, from the most popular subjects to the completely unique, including film studies, creative and non-fiction writing courses and American history courses. Many of our tutors are nationally recognised in their fields, including published authors, and practising professionals in the media. As a learner you can also benefit from our partnerships with organisations such as the British Film Institute and close links with The British Museum, the London Transport Museum and many others.
Many of our courses are delivered online. For more information about our live online courses, please see our guide to online learning.
- The 60 minute writerCourse Date: Tue 20 Apr 2021 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Fit 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 £40.00 - Heroes and Gods: 19. and 20. Century Classical References in the British Museum and elsewhereCourse Date: Sat 24 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
Delve into classical myths used in naval related and other items in the 19th century.
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 £36.00 - Dickens' LondonCourse Date: Sat 24 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' Enjoy this introduction to Dickens' work and the London of his time.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £15.00 - Developing your fairytaleCourse Date: Sat 24 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
Already devised a cunning plan for your own fairytale? This fun workshop coaches students on how to add an extra dash of magic into the cauldron while writing in the fairytale genre.
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 £28.00 - Autobiography into fiction: a tasterCourse Date: Sat 24 Apr 2021 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Learn how to turn real-life experiences into gripping fiction in this fun course for fiction writing beginners and those interested in writing fiction from life. Develop your writing skills and explore techniques for transforming personal stories into written narratives, realistic or fantastical.
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 £28.00 - Aliens, anxiety and the bomb: 1950s science fiction cinemaCourse Date: Sat 1 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
SF cinema of the 1950s drew on the social, political and technological concerns of the period, producing a rich body of films that reflect these themes through narratives featuring aliens, social and political concerns and the threat posed by the nuclear age. This class explores the ways in which these films accommodate such issues, their production contexts, and a range of critical responses.
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 £36.00 - Politics and the press: archaeology between the world warsCourse Date: Sat 8 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
In this short course we will explore ‘Tutmania’ and other phenomena of popular fascination with the past by looking at archaeology in the press, fashion, cinema and other aspects of popular culture.
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 £55.00 Concession £35.00 - Dante’s Divine Comedy: an introductionCourse Date: Sat 8 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
The Divine Comedy is an imaginary journey through the three realms of the afterlife. It's a fascinating compendium of life in 14th century Italy, but Dante's ability to depict humanity in all its aspects is timelss and has fascinated readers ever since.
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 £36.00 - Create your first poetry collectionCourse Date: Sat 15 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
You've written and workshopped your poetry, and now you're ready to create your first collection. But where do you begin with that process? This workshop offers instruction and advice on putting together your first poetry collection.
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 £28.00 - 'Steam under pressure': Britain’s railways in the First World WarCourse Date: Sat 15 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
The course explores Britain’s railways’ contribution to the war effort including workforce enlistment, transporting participants/weapons and engaging more women. Also considered are the railways’ response to attack and their role in Remembrance and battlefield pilgrimages.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £31.00 Concession £20.00 - Japanese history and culture in the novels of Kazuo IshiguroCourse Date: Sat 15 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
Kazuo Ishiguro expressed a unique, personal vision of Japan in his early novels. Discover how this relates to the ‘real’ Japanese history and culture of the mid-twentieth century, and also to the Nobel Prize-winning author’s perennial themes of memory, emotion and personal responsibility.
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 £36.00 - How to impress a publisherCourse Date: Sat 15 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
Publishing insider Lisa Goll offers expert advice on how to impress a publisher, work with agents and become a star author.
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 £28.00 - Londinium (Roman London 47-457 CE)Course Date: Sat 15 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
A look at the spectacular rise and fall of Londinium from c. AD 47 to its abandonment in c. AD 457.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £15.00 - Don Quixote for the 21st Century: the first road novelCourse Date: Sat 22 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
Discover why Don Quixote is considered to be the first modern novel. We explore Cervantes’ work from a wide variety of perspectives, bringing it back to life 400 years later. Readers embark on an unforgettable voyage from the first line: 'Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago...'.
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 £36.00 - An introduction to the horror filmCourse Date: Sat 22 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
This course introduces you to the genre's key themes, its major developments, and a range of critical perspectives on horror cinema. In doing so, we will view and discuss a variety of films and consider their various production contexts, including the Universal cycle of films in the 1930s, Hammer films of the 1950s/60s, American horror cinema since 1970, and recent East Asian horror cinema.
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 £36.00
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