Making Peace – Keeping Peace
It is of course simplistic to say that history repeats itself. But writing and performing two Great War centenary events for my home community (Axbridge) kept ringing bells and raising questions about our current predicament. In particular, the 2018 Remembrance … More details …
Reading Paintings: the Restoration
The return of Charles II in 1660 changed English history, literature, and society. This course traces the changing tastes of the day, with a special focus on the links between art and social history. Contains a case study of Sir … More details …
The Tudors
The Tudor monarchs are a perennial favourite in film and popular fiction – but sometimes this distorts our understanding. This course will cover the key elements and events of each reign, discussing new scholarship and research, and discussing the local … More details …
Constable, Turner and Joseph Wright of Derby
John Constable, Joseph Wright, and J. M. W. Turner are three giants of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British art. Each possessed special qualities in their painting that set them apart from their contemporaries. We analyse the qualities of their major works … More details …
Still Life – a bigger picture
A study day examining the genre of Still Life painting. The emphasis of the day will be allegory, metaphor and narrative. We will follow the development of the Still Life from the Renaissance to the 21st Century and try to … More details …
Reading Paintings: Great Collections
This course explores some of the great collections in art history, from the Stuart kings to the Hugh Lane Collection of impressionist paintings. Contains a case study of Evelyn Waugh – his art collection as well as his taste in … More details …
Jacobean Theatre
The accession of James 1 to the throne in 1603 had a enormous impact on playwrights from Shakespeare to Webster and Ford. We’ll look at the political, religious and social influences which helped to create some of the greatest plays … More details …
Shakespeare and history: the Real War of the Roses
Shakespeare’s earliest plays deal with the most turbulent period in English history, from the loss of France through to the Battle of Bosworth. Along the way he addresses the burning of Joan of Arc, the murder of a king and … More details …