Emile Galle and Louis Majorelle: Masters of French Art Nouveau
2026 marks the centenary of the death of the designer Louis Majorelle who collaborated with Emile Galle, famed for his glass, in launching L’Ecole de Nancy. Nancy, capital of Lorraine, was transformed into a Ville d’Art as houses, banks, shops and restaurants in … More details …
An Introduction to Artists’ Books
Making an Artist Book combines craft with art and is an art form started in France in the early 1900s. We will look at some examples, then make a Pocket Accordion with separate cover. This book can be used to … More details …
Should I take an umbrella?
Suppose you decide to leave your brolly at home and it rains. Were you unlucky? Did you check the forecast? We shall look at how data can help us deal with uncertainty, chance, luck and risk.
More details ...North (1975) Seamus Heaney
“North”, published in 1975 is divided into two parts. The first contains poems which are more symbolic in nature, taking themes such as the myth of Hercules and Antaeus, the bog bodies of Northern Europe, the Vikings and other historical … More details …
Reading Paintings: Genre Pictures
From Jan Steen to Johannes Vermeer, some great artists painted genre scenes (pictures of everyday life). This course analyses some of the finest examples, including tavern scenes, brothel scenes, and servants at work. These paintings tell us an enormous amount … More details …
Virtuoso!
Journey through the dazzling world of the violin concerto in a day filled with glorious music – music that is brilliant, lyrical and deeply emotional. Our Virtuoso! day traces the violin’s story from Vivaldi’s fiery energy through the sweeping Romantic … More details …
Central Asia – a melting pot or a divided region?
In this course we will explore the fascinating and enigmatic area sometimes referred to as the wild and opaque “black hole” in the heart of Asia. For millennia forming a cultural trading crossroads along the Silk Road, with unmatched prosperity … More details …
Antoni Gaudi, ‘God’s Architect’
The centenary of Gaudi’s death will be celebrated in 2026. Everything about Gaudi is larger than life including his death. Knocked down by a tram, the shabbily dressed architect was mistaken for a tramp and failed to receive medical treatment. … More details …
Archaeology of the Natufian Culture – Leaving the Garden of Eden
The Natufian Culture marks perhaps one of the most extraordinary transformations of our ancient human culture. Dating to just after the last ice age (15,000 years ago) archaeological evidence shows that the culture enabled (perhaps) the first sedentary population prior … More details …
Napoleon Bonaparte: Hero and Saviour of the French Nation or Destroyer of French liberty ?
From revolutionary general to imperial icon, Napoleon Bonaparte reshaped Europe’s political landscape. This course will follow Napoleon through his military campaigns, seizure of power and imperial impact within France and across Europe. We will consider how Napoleon navigated revolutionary ideals, … More details …
The Origins of Us: the deep evolutionary story of our bodies
How did we come to be here? How did our bodies, our five senses and our exceptional brains evolve? Life emerged on our planet about 3.8 billion years ago as tiny sea dwelling bacteria: in a very real sense these … More details …
From Sun Worship to Saving the World
It is abundantly clear that in our insatiable search for growth, mankind is radically changing the world in which we live. We only have one planet (despite Elon Musk’s dreams of colonising Mars), and we are in danger of damaging … More details …
Playful Printmaking
Try a variety of different printing processes to make weird and wonderful artworks! We can make stencils, draw onto and into foam blocks or simply press an inked object onto paper. Small printing rollers, sponges, brushes, cardboard and found objects … More details …
The Art of Revolution
An overview of the art and the artists involved in creating art relating to revolutionary moments in history. We shall investigate how artists depicted revolutions and how these images resonate and influence. How do these images report true event and … More details …
The Elements of Music
The Elements of Music is an illuminating full-day lecture with Ben England that reveals how the art of music is grounded in the patterns of the natural and scientific world. Through vivid examples and engaging explanations, Ben explores how vibration, … More details …