Classical Greece
What have the Greeks done for us? In many ways, classical art and architecture form the basis of modern civilisation. This course analyses ancient Greek culture, from the Trojan war to the Elgin marbles.
The Art of Spain: Faith, Love and Conflict
A brief overview of Spain’s artistic history, focusing on the paintings from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century. The focus will be on Faith and Conflict but many more ideas will surface during the day. We will explore the … More details …
Women in Ancient Rome
This day school focuses on the women in Roman society including childhood, education, marriage and motherhood. Through contemporary art and literature, we examine their status, both social and legal and also consider a few individual women and the influence they … More details …
Painting and Film in the 20th Century
Film is regarded as the main visual art form of the 20th Century; it has had a close relationship to painting from its very beginning. This study day will take a look at how the influence of painting on film … More details …
Reappraising Hannah More: a journey in local and national history
Hannah More (1745-1833) has for a long time been a neglected figure of the Eighteenth century, except perhaps for her enduring legacy in the Mendip schools and Somerset villages. Despite being one of the most influential cultural figures of her … More details …
Wild Girls in Paris
Colette, Romaine Brooks, Gertrude Stein—this course explores Paris and some of its famous female inhabitants. It will feature a case study of the bohemian muse, including Kiki of Montparnasse and the notorious Marchesa Casati.
Great Art – Great Literature
How have some of the best minds responded to art? This course examines a series of great artworks—from Brueghel to French Impressionism—then analyses some of the literature written in response.
Art in America
How does America see its self and how do we see America? A study day which takes a look at American Art and questions what we see and what we are shown. Works by several artists will be looked at … More details …
‘Deeds not Words’: The Suffragette Movement and my Lancashire Grandmother
Jane Crozier will talk about the Suffragettes through the experiences of her grandmother, ‘Red Nellie’, who, as a militant from Preston, was arrested for throwing stones through windows, twice went on hunger strike and was force fed in Holloway prison. … More details …
Merchants and Adventurers
Merchants and Adventurers: Life in the Tudor port of Bristol and beyond. Who were some of the important people behind its rise to fame ……And how did it go on to even ‘greater’ things? Bristol has been an important sea … More details …
Life in Ancient Rome: a further exploration
This course will continue exploring aspects of life in Ancient Rome, using contemporary art and literature. It is not necessary to have attended the earlier course as the topics are ‘stand alone’.
Bohemians in Paris
Paris is a magnet for talent, much of it existing on the margins of conventional society. Many of these bohemian figures would later become the centre of the art establishment. This course explores Modigliani, Picasso, Man Ray, and more.
Medieval Craftsmen
They were the elite of the workforce who created the great woodcarvings, wall paintings, stone carvings and stained glass. This is a journey through their works and their worlds.
Painting and Film in the 20th Century
Film is regarded as the main visual art form of the 20th century; it has had a close relationship to painting from its very beginning. This study day will take a look at how the influence of painting on film … More details …
Three Imperial Cities: Rome, Constantinople and Ravenna
An exploration of the three imperial capitals of the late Roman Empire, linking the physical appearance, the art and the architecture with the religious and ideological preoccupations of the society of Late Antiquity.