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.Read less
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214 courses available
- The Plastic Mind
In this accessible, discussion‑led course, we explore the brain, technology and nature. Through short videos and practical activities, we learn how the brain can grow and change at any age - and why this matters for how people think and learn differently.
Online
Tue 20 Oct 2026Vina TheodorakopoulouFull fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £58.00 
Art history tasterCurious about art history? Join us for this taster session where we explore different ways into visual art and its histories from the ancient to the contemporary.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00- Meet the Scientists: Isaac Newton
Explore Isaac Newton’s groundbreaking contributions to the development of physics during this History of Science Late.
Online
Thu 22 Oct 2026Gary RetallickFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £19.00 - Friday lates: Lubaina Himid – longing and belonging
This Friday Late art history course spotlights the work of artist Lubaina Himid, one of Britain's most thought provoking artists.
Online
Fri 23 Oct 2026Chantal CondronFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £19.00 - Ways into art history
Do you enjoy looking at art but want to understand it more deeply? This introduction to art history course will help you build confidence in interpreting art by exploring topics such as beauty, the role of the artist, gender, the art market, and global art history-giving you fresh insight into what you see in galleries and museums.
Online
Fri 23 Oct 2026Sophie RhodesFull fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Lunchtime lecture: Britain and the Bauhaus
Discover how British design ideas influenced German design schools in the late nineteenth century and how that influence was reversed in the 1930s when artists, designers, writers and architects embraced Bauhaus and Modernist design as a way to revitalise postwar Britain, and Bauhaus teachers were refugees in London. But did they succeed in making Britain modern?
Online
Fri 23 Oct 2026Julia MusgraveFull fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Psychoanalysing Horror Cinema
This course explores how horror films stage unconscious conflict, desire, fear, and transformation. Drawing on Freud, Lacan, and Jung, we will examine key films across six subgenres-Mind, Body, Nature, Aliens, Vampires, and Home Invasion. Through close readings of titles including Donnie Darko, Carrie, Cujo, Predator, Twilight, and Misery, participants will engage with horror as a psychological text that reveals what culture represses, disavows, and returns through fear.
Mary Wild is a writer, lecturer, and podcaster with an academic background in psychoanalytic theory. She is the author of Psychoanalysing Horror Cinema (2025, Routledge).
Online
Sat 24 Oct 2026Mary WildFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Introduction to Studio GhibliFounded by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki in 1985, Studio Ghibli is the most well-known anime studio of all time, combining boundless imagination with a complexity that has led them to win both prestigious awards and the hearts of viewers. This course provides an overview of the history, artistry, and cultural influences of the studio for newcomers and fans alike.
Zoe Crombie is a film studies lecturer and researcher based at Lancaster University who specialises in Japanese animation. She has articles on Studio Ghibli in academic publications like the Journal of Anime and Manga Studies, and has presented on animation at international conferences. Additionally, she works as a film critic, with bylines at publications like Little White Lies, Vulture, and The Skinny.Online
Mon 26 Oct 2026Zoe CrombieFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £123.00 - Introduction to contemporary art: ideas and originsEver wondered what's going on in the mind of contemporary artists? This course explores the ideas and historical background behind some of today’s most intriguing works, from Conceptualism and Video to Body Art and Installation.
Online
Mon 26 Oct 2026Christopher CollierFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £103.00 - From cradle to the grave: a history of the NHS 1948 to the present
The course examines the creation, consolidation, development and reorganizations of the NHS from 1948 to the present day.
Online
Tue 27 Oct 2026David IngledewFull fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £110.00 - History of Ideas: the language of politeness
This short course introduces you to the fascinating world of politeness studies. You’ll explore how we manage politeness in everyday conversation and how different cultures express it linguistically. You’ll learn about research and theories on politeness from pragmatics and linguistics, considering how these have developed over time.
Using real-life examples and interactive activities, you’ll learn how politeness works -and why it matters.
Online
Tue 27 Oct 2026Jack Pulman-SlaterFull fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £38.00 - Debt in the global political economyExplore the intricacies of debt within the global political economy, examining its impacts, mechanisms, and socio-economic consequences.
Online
Tue 27 Oct 2026Caglar EzikogluFull fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £90.00 - Philosophy reading group: Kierkegaard's fear and TremblingFear and Trembling is a moving, challenging and influential work of philosophy: short but powerful. This course will offer an introduction to the work of Kierkegaard, explanation of some of the book’s knottier passages and group discussion.
Online
Wed 28 Oct 2026Karl WhiteFull fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £58.00 - Hitchcock's British Films
Hitchcock established his reputation early on in his British career, particularly with a series of thrillers that showcased his distinctive style. This course explores his British films and the factors that helped to shape his filmmaking and, subsequently, his reputation as a major film artist, while also considering his position in, and relationship to British cinema of the 1920s and 1930s.
Online
Wed 28 Oct 2026Jon WisbeyFull fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £90.00 - Road to Antalya: Global Climate Solutions at COP31
Will COP 31 address theunprecedentedthreats that climate change posesto society and the environment, or do we need more ambitious global solutions?
Online
Wed 28 Oct 2026Anita PunwaniFull fee £49.00 Senior fee £49.00 Concession £32.00
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