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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors 1485 -1603
In this course we will explore the dramatic clashes which peppered Tudor England, including dynastic challenges and violent social, economic and religious rebellions. We will investigate the evolving relationship between the monarchy, nobility, and people of England, and how disorder … 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 …
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 ...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 …
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 …
Early Dickens – Sketches by Boz
Sketches by Boz were the first published sketches by Charles Dickens. This course will look at a range of these sketches over three weeks and consider what themes are raised, discuss them in the wider context of the Dickens canon and … More details …
Origins of Us: Why we think how we do
Have you ever wondered why we think in the way we do? This course aims to trace the changes in ideas, culture and mental patterning that have marked our journey from the Stone Age to the Age of AI. We’ll … More details …
More Chekhov Short Stories
Chekhov wrote and sold short stories and vignettes of Russian life from 1880 to 1903, the year before his death from tuberculosis aged forty-four. During those twenty-three years, while he was also studying and practicing medicine, he produced at least … More details …