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.
- Ways into poetry: an introductionCourse Date: Tue 11 May 2021 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Are you just starting to write poetry? This inspiring short course offers an opportunity to experiment with language and a variety of poetic devices. Discover the key elements of a poem in a friendly and interactive class.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - How to write a short storyCourse Date: Mon 19 Jul 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Through a series of inspiring and practical exercises, you'll be encouraged to tap into your imagination and draft a short story from beginning to end in four days.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - A Psychoanalytical approach to Film: an introductionCourse Date: Sun 1 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
An introduction to psychoanalysis for film interpretation, applying key Freudian concepts to explore celebrated works by international directors: Peter Jackson, Lars von Trier, Lynne Ramsay, Alfred Hitchcock, Gaspar Noé, and Luis Buñuel. Psychoanalytic themes will be identified in cinema, engendering a more enriched viewing experience.
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 - A walk through N3: Conservation FinchleyCourse Date: Sun 1 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Finchley Central contains three conservation areas. Starting at the oldest part of the former village of Finchley Church End , this virtual walk stops to admire traces of the old village, Edwardian and Victorian architecture before moving on to the delightful Finchley Garden village and College Farm, the last remaining farm in Finchley.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £9.00 Senior fee £9.00 Concession £9.00 - Exploring Medieval Literature: origins of the Robin Hood legendCourse Date: Sun 1 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Dashing heroes, dazzling tights, merry men, and talking foxes: the Robin Hood legend has influenced many TV and film representations. How did it originate, and why? What relationships have the fiction with the history? And how did Robin Hood stories develop in ballads, plays (including in Shakespeare), and poems?
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 - Film Noir to Neo Noir: the long hot summerCourse Date: Mon 2 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
'Body Heat', 'Chinatown', 'The Long Goodbye'. Three films, two sessions, one topic: neo-Noir.
Film noir first appeared in Hollywood in the early 1940s then vanished in the late 50's. Neo-noir was the 70's revival of film noir, updating the themes of political corruption and darkness at the top. Raymond Chandler’s Marlowe would not feel out of place in Chinatown or southern Florida’s 'Body Heat'. A dark and deadly dream of a nightmare vision for a post-Watergate America.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £49.00 Concession £30.00 - Ways into creative writing: intensiveCourse Date: Tue 3 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Are you brand new to creative writing? Do you want to build your confidence in a supportive online environment alongside other beginners? This faster-pace short-course guides students taking their first steps on the path to becoming a creative writer.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £36.00 - Maps and Mapping in FictionCourse Date: Wed 4 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Whether the places they depict are real, imaginary, or somewhere in between, writers of fiction have long been fascinated by maps and the possibilities they contain. From fantasy lands to real-life geographies, this course investigates the close (though sometimes ambiguous) relationships between maps and fiction. We will explore extracts and illustrative maps from a range of different texts, and try our hand at mapping a fictional space for ourselves.
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 spark your creative writingCourse Date: Fri 6 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Discover the joy of creative writing! Leave stress and worry at the door and find new ways to express your creativity on this fun, dynamic and supportive short course. Please note: this course will have a 2-hr break from 12:30-14:30.
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 - Writing articles workshopCourse Date: Sat 7 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Work with a freelance journalist to sharpen up your writing in this in-depth workshop. Improve your style and discover the key skills you need to produce high quality articles to a deadline.
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 - Making sense of fictions through philosophyCourse Date: Sat 7 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Our ability not only to talk about fictional characters, but to say true things about them, has puzzled philosophers throughout history. This introductory course will show you why fictional characters present such a puzzle.
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 - Writing for podcasts: a tasterCourse Date: Sat 7 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Podcasts are growing rapidly in popularity, and more and more people are making their own, both at home and at work. Find out more about all the different kinds of writing involved in producing a podcast, hone your own skills and, with support from your tutor, develop your own ideas for audio.
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 - Aspects of European CinemaCourse Date: Sat 7 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
This online course introduces you to a range of themes in European cinema, including art cinema, authorship, national cinema, movements and new waves, popular cinema, and genre, while also exploring key developments in European film history and a range of critical responses to European cinema.
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 £42.00 - Picture book writing: a tasterCourse Date: Sat 7 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Would you like to write a picture book text for young children? This taster course is designed for children's writers and for illustrators wishing to write their own stories. 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 £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £28.00 - Writing the cityCourse Date: Sun 8 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Through a combination of close observation and texts both old and new, you'll explore the depiction of inner city life in fiction, and write your own fiction inspired by the urban landscape in this short course.
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
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