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Our languages and culture courses span the length and breadth of England and Scotland, with the option to study online or in person at a time that suits you. Whether you’re looking to learn a new language and immerse yourself in another country, or you simply wish to indulge in your love and fascination of film, we have the course for you. 

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Our creative writing courses will nourish your inner writer, providing you with a platform to develop your love of poetry, non-fiction or script development. If literature courses are more your kind of thing, then you’re in luck too, as there are a wide range of topics to choose from.  

Literary greats and great periods in history

Our language courses offer you the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in a completely new culture, developing your skills so that you can speak confidently in countries right across the world. German, Italian and Greek are just a few examples of the language courses we have to offer, with many others taking place throughout the year.  

As you’d expect, literary greats such as Agatha Christie and Shakespeare feature regularly. There’s also the option to examine other time periods in English literature too, helping you develop your critical reading and analysis skills - perfect whether you’re a beginner or more experienced in the subject.  

If you prefer history then you’ve got a choice too, from courses on subjects you’d expect such as the first world war, or art history and studying the works of iconic painters such as Salvador Dali. 

Support and guidance

Whatever course you choose, you'll learn in a supportive environment where the class sizes are small, ensuring you get the attention you deserve, with an experienced and qualified tutor on-hand to guide you through your learning too.  

A lot of our cultural learning is delivered by our branch network: learn more here.

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Beginners Ukrainian

Would you like to start learning how to speak in Ukrainian? Would you like to communicate with your friends or colleagues who speak the language? Then this is the course for you. This is the basic course which runs for 8 weeks so you can learn the basics of the language. You do not have to do any assessments to join the course as this is for beginners. You will be taught by a qualified tutor who was born in Ukraine and has lived in the UK teaching English for a number of years.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 14/01/2025 -
Tue 11/03/2025
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Olena Kovalenko
Course code:
Q00019099
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £59.20

Foreign Languages: Learning More Italian

Welcome to Term 2 of Learning Italian! This 10-week course builds on your foundational skills, focusing on practical situations. You’ll learn to book a hotel room, navigate train and bus stations, and shop at markets. Through interactive lessons, role-playing, and listening activities, you’ll gain confidence in handling common scenarios. Topics include making reservations, understanding schedules, purchasing tickets, and shopping for goods. Cultural insights will deepen your appreciation of Italian traditions. By the end of the course, you’ll be comfortable using Italian in various everyday contexts. Join us to continue your Italian language journey! Buon viaggio!

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 15/01/2025 -
Wed 02/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Giuseppa Perricone
Course code:
Q00016302
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £81.40

Creative Writing: Writing Your First Novel: Getting Started

You'll learn about the key pillars of creative writing, which will help you write effective fiction pieces, as well as create an effective creative writing practice. Whether you want to write a novel, short stories, or just write for self-awareness and personal development, come along, and join the class, whether you consider yourself an absolute beginner or someone who has written a little in the past.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 16/01/2025 -
Thu 27/03/2025
Times:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Craig Rickard
Course code:
Q00009230
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Creative Writing: 'Roots' Creative Writing: Structure & Point-of-View 

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue in fortnightly sessions. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on thinking about how point-of-view impacts on structure. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers. This course uses the same content as the other fortnightly class, Creative Writing: Structure & Point of View Q00012330, the Thursday evening course, Structure & Point-of-View, and the Friday morning course, Creative Writing: Structure & Point-of-View, therefore you need only enrol on to one of them.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 16/01/2025 -
Thu 27/03/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00012725
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
9 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Creative Writing: Structure & Point-of-View 

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on thinking about how point-of-view impacts on structure. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers. This course uses the same content as the Friday morning course, Creative Writing: Point-of-View, and the Thursday morning fortnightly course, Creative Writing: Point-of-View, therefore you need only enrol on to one of them.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 17/01/2025 -
Fri 21/02/2025
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00012329
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

Art Appreciation: The Thames in Art

The Thames, its bridges, embankments, and the monuments standing alongside it, are world-renowned symbols of London. Over the centuries, artists have represented the river from many different viewpoints, for all sorts of occasions, and in a variety of artistic styles. From De Jongh and Canaletto to Turner and Monet, the Thames has been represented many. As we retrace their steps, we will study the sights and events they depicted. From the Thames Estuary to Cookham, we will see sights of mayoral processions, regattas, busy tugboats and Thames barge, highlight the river’s many functions. As we study these works of art – some well-known and other rarely ever seen – we will discuss the river's artistic and historical significance.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 18/01/2025 -
Sat 18/01/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019168
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £8.40

Creative Writing: Structure & Point-of-View 

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on thinking about how point-of-view impacts on structure. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers. This course uses the same content as the Friday morning course, Creative Writing: Point-of-View, and the Thursday morning fortnightly course, Creative Writing: Point-of-View, therefore you need only enrol on to one of them.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 23/01/2025 -
Thu 03/04/2025
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00012327
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
1 place remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Creative Writing: Wellbeing and Writing Skills

Are you interested in creative writing as a tool for well being? We will explore creative writing as therapy or personal memoir as a tool for well being and developing writing skills, imagination and confidence and look at different ways of writing about life experience, memory, incidents and details that illustrate a narrative and how the use of imagination can often lead to the development of a story or poem.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 25/01/2025 -
Sat 25/01/2025
Times:
10:00am - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stella Stocker
Course code:
Q00018503
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £20.35

Art Appreciation: Mirrors and Reflections in Art

Mirrors are present in several masterpieces, such as Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, Velazquez’s Las Meninas and Manet’s Un Bar aux Folies-Bergères. In these, mirrors and the reflections they reveal are often enigmatic as they add another dimension to what we (think we) see and deepen the work’s meaning. In this session, we will look at the different ways in which mirrors and reflected images have been included in works of art. As we do so, we will investigate the symbolism of the mirror in Western art and culture.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 25/01/2025 -
Sat 25/01/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019169
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £8.40

Art Appreciation: The Destruction of Art by artists, institutions, and conflicts

Explore the complex history of art destruction with our Art Appreciation: The Destruction of Art by Artists, Institutions, and Conflicts course. Learn about the motivations, impacts, and ethical considerations of art destruction throughout history. Ideal for art enthusiasts and anyone interested in the intersection of art, history, and ethics.

Course Information

Dates:
Sun 09/02/2025 -
Sun 16/03/2025
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jolanta Jagiello
Course code:
Q00017713
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00