Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses
Explore our extraordinary range of Humanities courses and lectures. We offer both introductory and specialist in-depth courses to suit all levels of interest and experience, from one-off courses in History, Politics, and Economics to in-depth courses in Art History, Film Studies, Literature, and Science and Nature.
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.
- The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi: His message and relevance to the modern world
Course start date: Mon 17 Nov 2025Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ketan VariaMahatma Gandhi’s messages are profound and based both on his lived experience and intellectual power. His views on truth seeking and non-violent action have inspired many, particularly in the civil rights movements. Join this online course to find out more about his philosophy and consider its continued relevance in the 21st century.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £51.00 - Create your first poetry collection Course start date: Tue 18 Nov 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Megan BeechYou'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.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Tuesday Late Latin American History with Dr Anna Grimaldi: Che Guevara's RevolutionsCourse start date: Tue 18 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anna GrimaldiWe're all familiar with the image of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara - but why is the idea of this man still so powerful, even 65 years after the Cuban Revolution? Join Dr Anna Grimaldi to explore Guevara's life, ideology, impact and legacies.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Economic paradigms: are there alternatives to capitalism? Course start date: Wed 19 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Caglar EzikogluExplore diverse economic theories beyond capitalism in economic paradigms with regards to the alternatives of capitalism and broaden your understanding of global economic systems.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £84.00 - Friday Lates: the art of zines Course start date: Fri 21 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Christopher CollierUnderground passions and radical imagery have defined so-called fanzines for over 80 years. From the earliest examples to today, we explore their content, technique and the relation of DIY culture to wider artistic practices.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Realism and Genre: British Cinema in the 1960s Course start date: Sat 22 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jon WisbeyDuring the 1960s British cinema re-established itself as a leading producer of films, including realist dramas such as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), and action and adventure fantasies with the highly popular James Bond films. This course explores these developments through a range of critical approaches and considers the way in which they contributed to a revitalised British cinema.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Painted worlds: Renaissance landscapes north and south Course start date: Wed 26 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Carlo CorsatoExplore how Renaissance artists transformed landscape from simple backdrop to powerful storytelling element. Over three weeks, we'll journey through portraiture, religious imagery, and narrative art to discover how these natural settings evolved to shape meaning across Northern and Southern European traditions.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £51.00 - Russia and Ukraine: The memory politics of conflictCourse start date: Thu 27 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Olivia DurandThe ongoing Russian occupation of Ukraine and the Ukrainian fight for its people, land and sovereignty is not only fought on the battlefield. A significant dimension revolves around how Ukraine as a multi-cultural nation and sovereign state challenges the dominant Russian political representation of the linkage between the history of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and today's Russia. Join us to understand how both history and memory are an integral dimension of the war.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Friday lates: Cook must fall! Portraits of Captain James Cook, new and old Course start date: Fri 28 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ben PollittExplore the portrayal of Captain James Cook from c. 1770 to the present day. Understand images of Cook provide us with a fascinating platform to think about the complicated relationships that have emerged out of British Empire and what used to be thought of as its imperial possessions.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - From mythical heroines to the emperor's subjects: epistolography in the Roman Empire Course start date: Tue 2 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nikoletta ManiotiFind out more about epistolography (letter writing) as a literary genre in the Roman world.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Interactions between the Mediterranean world and Anglo-Saxon EnglandCourse start date: Fri 5 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Stephen Pollington.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Friday lates: Artemisia Gentileschi: power, identity and ambition in painting Course start date: Fri 5 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Elisa StafferiniExplore the life and work of Artemisia Gentileschi, a leading Baroque painter whose bold depictions of women and artistic self-fashioning challenged expectations. This session examines her major works, self-portraits and legacy within the context of seventeenth-century art and society.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - How to get an agent Course start date: Sat 6 Dec 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosie ChardThis intensive workshop offers students insider, need-to-know information on securing a literary agent.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Digital Archaeology: AI and the Preservation of the PastCourse start date: Sun 7 Dec 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vina TheodorakopoulouExplore how AI and digital tools are reshaping archaeology and heritage. Reflect on the ethics, power and promise of preserving the past in a data-driven world. Discuss why heritage still matters.
Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Studying Film: A TasterCourse start date: Sun 7 Dec 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jon WisbeyThis taster of forthcoming film courses at City Lit in 2026 offers you the chance to think about which ones to take while also providing an opportunity to explore some of the key areas in film studies more generally.
Learn how to evaluate and discuss films while enjoying a working example of a City Lit film studies class.
We will view clips from a wide variety of films, exploring themes and technique in British, European and modern American cinema. There will be a chance to review term two film courses at City Lit (January - July 2026).Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
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