Doris Hatt and Evelyn Dunbar
Doris Hatt spent most of her life in Clevedon. A fine artist who kept apart from the establishment, she engaged with European Modernism and the use of strong colour. Her life story is equally fascinating including her politics, life partner … More details …
Three Thomases: politics, faith and power in the Tudor court
This course will focus on the lives of three men with immense power in 16th century England which has been retained in their legacies and memories through the centuries. Thomas Wolsey, the Alter Rex; Thomas More, canonised by the Catholic Church … More details …
Objects of wonder
In the Renaissance, kings and dukes, wealthy merchants and rich scholars developed a passion for collecting and studying exotic objects, animals and – sometimes – human beings. Prepare to be amazed as we unlock cabinets of curiosities and study prints … More details …
Discussing short stories
Are these stories a form of armchair time-travel? We begin our journey in 1706, with Daniel Defoe, and finish it with Anthony Trollope, in 1864, discussing one, possibly two, stories per session from The Penguin Book of the British Short … More details …
Modern European Poetry
Since the second World War a number of poets have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. These include the Polish poets, Czesław Miłosz and Wisława Szymborska, the Italian poets, Salvatore Quasimodo, and Eugenio Montale. And many European poets have been … More details …
Ukraine: understanding the country and its people
This short course will focus on the way that history, social history and geography have determined the Ukrainian experience. The 2 half days will look at the constituent parts of today’s Ukraine, their different histories and how this complicates the … More details …
Everyone can draw
Learn to draw with line and shading to capture form and texture. Get depth into your drawings by using perspective and a range of different marks and materials. Build your confidence and develop drawing skills in a relaxed and supportive … More details …
From Kaiser to Führer
This course is now fully booked. Please contact us if you would like to be put on the waiting list in case of any cancellations. An exploration of the history and politics surrounding the creation of the Weimar Republic, the … More details …
When England had barely begun
This course is now fully booked. Please contact us if you would like to be added to the waiting list in case of any cancellations. Sutton Hoo and the Lindisfarne Gospels provide remarkable insights into the England of the 7th century. Early … More details …
Marsden Hartley and Robert Indiana, a conversation through time
There will be three sessions making up this slightly shorter day course 1 In the first session we will study the life and work of Marsden Hartley (1877-1943). Hartley was an American Modernist, a painter, a poet and essayist. After … More details …
Written out of history? Women artists, 1400-1900
This course aims to introduce you to some of the many women who enjoyed successful careers as painters and sculptors in countries across Europe down the centuries. We will begin in the early Renaissance and will consider some of the … More details …
Baubles and beads for Christmas
Make some unique decorations to hang on the tree or to give as gifts. No stitching required and there will be lots of ribbons, threads, beads and wire to choose from. See below for examples of what you could make. … More details …
Three Comedy of Manners novels from the early Twentieth Century
This course is now fully booked. Please contact us if you would like to be placed on the waiting list in case of any cancellations. EM Forster’s, A Room with a View provides a glimpse into Edwardian times. Jump forward … More details …
Empires: Part 1 – The Classical Era
This course is now fully booked. Please contact us if you would like to be added to the waiting list in case of any cancellations. This day school will explore the history of Eurasian Empires up to the end of … More details …
Vincent Van Gogh: From Arles to Auvers
Van Gogh arrived in Arles in February 1888 with the idea of founding a studio of the south. His time there was exceptionally productive, producing many dozens of paintings, drawings and watercolours (Night Cafe, Starry Night, Sunflowers). A very broke … More details …