Great Works
Delve into the work of the writers, artists and musicians who have changed the world and inspire us every day.
Our Great Works courses are taught by passionate tutors who are experts in their fields and want to share their knowledge and passion. You will be surrounded by like-minded people in our classes where you will study and discuss famous work, the influence it has had on the modern day, and the history behind it.
22 courses available
Exploring the music of Henry PurcellExplore the remarkable achievements of England’s great Baroque composer. Break week: 29 Oct 2026
Keeley Street
Mon 21 Sep 2026Edward BreenFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £209.00- String Quartets: Beethoven and Bartók
A rare opportunity to take a deep-dive into the music of two profoundly important quartet composers side by side, this course leads students through the string quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and Béla Bartók (1881-1945) to compare and contrast their approaches to the genre around 100 years apart from each other. Break week: 27 Oct 2026
Keeley Street
Tue 22 Sep 2026Katy HamiltonFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £209.00 - Representing David: a brief introduction to Florentine Renaissance Sculpture from Donatello to Michelangelo
This course will take the case study of four statues of David produced in Florence during the Renaissance by Donatello, Verrocchio and Michelangelo, to chart the developments in sculpture at this time.
Keeley Street
Fri 25 Sep 2026Bryony Bartlett-RawlingsFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Michelangelo, the High Renaissance to Mannerism
Discover Michelangelo’s 'genius' across sculpture, painting, architecture, and poetry. This course traces his artistic journey within the dynamic world of 16th century Italy from the High Renaissance to Mannerism. It explores his encounters with contemporaries like Leonardo and Raphael, and examines how Vasari and Condivi’s biographies shaped his enduring reputation as Il Divino.
Keeley Street
Thu 1 Oct 2026Elisa StafferiniFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Study day: Goya and the Romantic movement
Explore Romanticism as an international movement, focusing on Francisco Goya (1746-1828) as its key example, considering issues such as historic context, biography, material experimentation and artistic and theoretic interests.
Keeley Street
Sat 3 Oct 2026Rachel SandersFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - Study day: Picasso
Study the stages of Picasso’s experimentation, including the Blue Period and Cubism, and key works, such as Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Guernica, within a variety of contexts - biographic, historic, political and artistic.
Keeley Street
Sat 31 Oct 2026Rachel SandersFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Study day: master drawings from Michelangelo to Cezanne, a hidden art history
Uncover hidden histories in art through the universal medium of drawing. Explore drawing’s significant role in shaping art and how artists including Leonardo, Rembrandt and Cezanne have been drawn to its expressive possibilities to make personal studies and autonomous works of art.
Keeley Street
Sun 15 Nov 2026Bryony Bartlett-RawlingsFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Study day: Gaudí and Catalan Modernisme
Marking a century since Gaudí’s death, this study-day explores his extraordinary architecture, and the rich world of Catalan Modernisme. From the Park Güell and Sagrada Família to the paintings of Ramon Casas, discover how Gaudí and his contemporaries transformed Barcelona.
Keeley Street
Sun 29 Nov 2026Caroline LevisseFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Study day: Renoir and Impressionism
Explore Impressionism as an art movement, focusing on Auguste Renoir (1849-1919) as its key example, considering issues such as social change, biography, material experimentation and artistic and theoretic interests.
Keeley Street
Sat 5 Dec 2026Rachel SandersFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - A Day with T.S. Eliot
Come and explore the Nobel Prize-winning poet, T. S. Eliot, in a stimulating group context where our focus will be on immersing ourselves in the language and contexts of his striking poetry.
Keeley Street
Sat 12 Dec 2026Suzannah V. Evans, Phyllis RichardsonFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Great works: The Play of Daniel
Discover one of the most captivating musical dramas of the Middle Ages.
Keeley Street
Mon 14 Dec 2026Edward BreenFull fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £39.00 - Handel in Italy
Explore Handel’s transformative Italian years and the remarkable works he composed during this formative period. NB: this course has no scheduled break week.
Keeley Street
Mon 11 Jan 2027Edward BreenFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £209.00 - Exploring Verdi
Immerse yourself in the world of one of Italy’s greatest opera composers. NB: Scheduled break week 16 Feb 2027.
Keeley Street
Tue 12 Jan 2027Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £195.00 - Exploring Elgar
Journey into the life, music, and legacy of England’s great late‑Romantic master.
Break week: 18 Feb 2027
Keeley Street
Thu 14 Jan 2027Steven RobinsonFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £209.00 - Focus on: Giotto
Discover the life and work of Giotto, was one of the earliest artists to be written about within his lifetime, his genius held up as the ideal by Italian painting critics for the next five centuries.
Online
Wed 10 Mar 2027Leslie PrimoFull fee £89.00 Senior fee £71.00 Concession £58.00
Can't see a course you want?
Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.