The Story of the Blues
Explore the social history that brought about Blues music and gain an understanding of its nature and origins.
Female maladies, medical and literary culture in the long 19th century
We will look at how writers of fiction portrayed deviant and/or difficult women and how society, including the medical profession, punished, chastised or managed these transgressive characters. Texts will be Mary Wollstonecraft’s unfinished novel Maria, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow … More details …
New Crafts: Making Bags
A beginner’s class to introduce the skills and materials required to produce a professional looking fabric tote bag that will stand up without being floppy. The bag features an interior zipped pocket, inner slip pocket, handles, adjustable and removable shoulder … More details …
Daily life in Ancient Rome
What was life like in Ancient Rome? We shall try to find some answers through an exploration of some key aspects of life in Ancient Rome, including education, slavery and entertainment , through the eyes of those who lived there. … More details …
Women Artists of the 20th Century
The ‘art world’ like most places, is a male domain. Women artists are often marginalised and overlooked. Througout the day, we will not only study the lives and work of the women who contributed to the creative output of the … More details …
Villanelles, Sonnets and Sestinas
Certain poetic forms have an enduring appeal for poets and readers alike. We shall read and discuss a variety of these, exploring the ways in which metre, rhyme and repetition contribute to a poem’s overall effect.
Reading Paintings: The Shock of the New
From Van Gogh to Picasso, this course focuses on the early days of modern art. There will be a case study of Futurism and artistic reactions to the First World War. Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Wyndham Lewis and Vorticism, Surrealism, Dada: Duchamp … More details …
New Crafts: Soapmaking
An informative and practical workshop – explore the history of soap, its ingredients and make a batch to take home. This workshop will cover the history of soap and look at ingredients that go in to handmade artisan soap. We … More details …
Camden Town and the London Groups – Great British Art 1900-1925
The Fitzroy Street group was founded by Walter Sickert in 1907, and then followed the three Camden Town Group exhibitions (1911-12), where we see the art of Sickert, Spencer Gore, Harold Gilman and Charles Ginner. Finally, the setting up of … More details …
North and South: Elizabeth Gaskell
Share your responses to this classic novel. At one time, it was classified only as a ‘condition of England’ novel. More recently the story of Margaret Hale, and her movements between the rural south and the newly industrialised north has … More details …
The Genius of the Classical Era in Music (1750-1820)
We will explore the evolution of the orchestra, the formalisation of the symphonic and sonata form, Mozart’s operas and masses, the symphonies and string quartets of Haydn, the explosion in popularity of the fortepiano and the demise of the harpsichord. … More details …
100 years of Suffrage: Votes for Women (& Men)
The scene is set with a run through the electoral reform acts of the 19th Century before looking at the emergence of the Suffragists and the campaign of the Suffragettes, including those in Bristol. At the end of the day, … More details …
New Crafts: Mosaics
Another opportunity to observe some of the techniques involved in creating a mosaic and to complete a small panel to take home. Cutting tools and all materials provided (small extra cost). Check out Frankie’s website https://frankiehudsonmosaics.co.uk … More details …
Landscapes in Literature
An exploration of British landscape writing through selected texts of poetry and prose, from 19th century industrial and post-industrial landscapes, to the ‘new nature writing’ of the 21st century.
Americans in Paris
Paris has been a catalyst for some of America ’s finest thinkers and creators. From Thomas Jefferson to Gene Kelly, this course explores their reasons for going there and the work they produced. The main focus will be art (Sargent, … More details …