Summer courses in humanities
Discover more this summer in history, politics, science, philosophy and art history.
- Cutting it fine: collage in modern & contemporary art
Course start date: Sun 14 Jun 2026Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chantal CondronImmerse yourself in an exploration of the history of collage going as far back as ancient China to international contemporary art today. This engaging study day will enhance your knowledge of the roots of this fascinating media, and illustrate how collage techniques have been pivotal to major modern and contemporary art movements, from Cubism, Dada and Surrealism to photomontage and digital art.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Find your way without a map: Orienting from natural signs Course start date: Sun 14 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Christopher CollierSee nature in a whole new way by learning some basic, practical tips for navigating via natural clues and signs. You’ll never be lost without your phone again! Please note that this is a one-off, offsite session. Meeting point:Hampstead Heath overground (Mildmay Line)
Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £29.00 - Creating a sustainable tomorrowCourse start date: Sun 14 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vina TheodorakopoulouAn exploration of ethical considerations intertwined with the journey towards a sustainable future. This course offers a dynamic and revealing learning experience, inviting participants to delve into a purposeful debate of ethics and sustainability in the modern world.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Palaces, Parks and ParadesCourse start date: Mon 15 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneWalking from East Finchley to Muswell Hill we discuss the developments of the areas, from trains and shopping parades to people's palaces.
Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - From Earth to Empire: Cocoa and Coffee in African HistoryCourse start date: Tue 16 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Apeike UmoluDive into Africa’s past through the commodities that put it at the centre of world trade: cocoa and coffee. Explore how they transformed societies, fuelled nation-building, and triggered economic and labour activism.
Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £25.00 - Money, power and crisis: the history of financial systems in Europe Course start date: Tue 16 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vina TheodorakopoulouExplore the evolution of Europe’s financial systems, from medieval banking to the eurozone crisis. Discover how finance, power and society have shaped each other — and why history matters for understanding today’s economic challenges.
Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00 - Refugee week at City Lit: Rhetoric and Refugees in politics, pop culture and the press Course start date: Tue 16 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Siobhan McGuirkCasting a critical eye over popular depictions of people on the move, this course explores how categories of difference, deservingness and otherness are constructed and circulated - before considering possible alternative narratives.
Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £8.00 Concession £7.00 - Refugee Week at City Lit: Climate change, food insecurity and refugees Course start date: Tue 16 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Olivia DurandExplore how colonialism, industrial agriculture, and capitalist extraction have shaped global food systems-driving hunger, displacement, and refugee movements. Through case studies, we will examine resistance efforts reclaiming food sovereignty and sustainable alternatives.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £7.00 - Saints, scholars, sportsmen & soldiers: How religion,politics, education, sports & war shaped Irish identity 1884-1922Course start date: Wed 17 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Colm HickeyExplore the history of Ireland from 1884 until War of Independence and the creation of Northern Ireland in 1922
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - Refugee week at City Lit: refugees, entrepreneurship and businessCourse start date: Wed 17 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ketan VariaJoin us to explores the impact of refugees on businesses in the UK, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities they bring to the economy as part of Refugee Week at City Lit.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £8.00 Concession £7.00 - Sanctuary in the city – public art by refugees and immigrants in the city Course start date: Wed 17 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneCome on a virtual tour of public art through the City of London created by Refugees and Immigrants. We will explore artworks such as the 17th century carvings on the Monument and a Victorian plaques relocated on to the post Modern Number One Poultry by economic immigrants to the country as well as looking at mainly works by 20th century artists from refugee backgrounds who were either commissioned to make art works for site specific places or their works have been bought or moved to their locations.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Refugee week at City Lit: Capitalism and migrationCourse start date: Thu 18 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan McGuirkWith money-making activities growing around people on the move, we explore how capitalism shapes refugees’ lives and ask: who profits while others are deported and detained
Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £8.00 Concession £7.00 - Refugee week at City Lit: Roots of racism Course start date: Thu 18 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan McGuirkIdeas about racial groups anddifferencesbetween peoplesare built on myths, lies and pseudoscience- yet they continue to shapepolitics and society. Join us to learnhow to debunk harmful narratives.
Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £8.00 Concession £7.00 - Land Acknowledgement and Racial Justice: Approaches from Different Settler Societies Course start date: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Olivia DurandLearn about the origins and purpose of land acknowledgements in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Examine their role in racial justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and whether they create real change or remain symbolic gestures.
Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Friday lates: Women artists of the Renaissance - Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana Course start date: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Elisa StafferiniAn introduction to the life, art and career of Italian Renaissance artists Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana. We’ll explore notions of artistic identity and the distinct challenges faced by woman artists in amale-dominated art world.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
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