Tuesdays 5, 12, 19, 26 March; 2, 9 April, 13.30 – 15.30

The turbulent French nineteenth century produced some of the most exceptional and innovative artworks of any period, before or since. Revolution was in the air and on the streets and the art reflected these cultural upheavals. Continuing this new series, this course explores Realism and Impressionism, their roots, influences, interactions and practitioners. It is not necessary to have taken the first course to benefit from this one.

Tuesdays 4, 11, 18, 25 June, 13.30 – 15.30

Artistic revolution and innovation was the hallmark of the nineteenth-century, both in France and, perhaps less well known, in Britain. This course explores British Impressionism, its roots, influences, interactions and practitioners.

Wednesdays 6, 13, 20, 27 March, 10.30 – 12.30

This course offers the opportunity to find out why and how the ancient Greeks and Romans travelled across their world. In a time without steam, electricity or petrol, the Greeks and Romans travelled far and wide – and at some speed.

Saturday 27 April, 10.00 – 16.00

We have all heard about gladiators and chariot racing in the Roman world, but here is a chance to explore some of the lesser known aspects of life in ancient Rome. Using translations of original sources and images of artefacts, we shall probe into the personal lives of ancient Romans.

Wednesdays 27 February; 6, 13, 20 March, 13.30 – 16.00

Have you always wanted to write? This supportive and encouraging course will use a mixture of practical writing exercises and readings to help you face the blank page. All you will need to bring is pen, paper and a willingness to try new things. Limited places are available due to a smaller class size.

Mondays 13, 20 May; 3, 10 June, 10.00 – 12.30

Learn from the best of contemporary short story writers to help you write your own new work. Led by an award winning short story writer, you will look at examples of a range of stories to experiment with different styles and work on your writing craft. This is a practical course, with lots of writing involved, but you will also discover new and well-established contemporary writers. Limited places are available due to a smaller class size.

Mondays 4, 11, 18, 25 February, 11.00 – 13.00

This course examines the rule of Oliver Cromwell, when he became Lord Protector in the 1650s, considering not just the personality and actions of Cromwell himself, but also the wider experience of English life during the Protectorate. This course is a repeat from Autumn 2017.

Wednesdays 27 February; 6, 13 March, 10.30 – 12.30

Between 1936 and 1939 Spain was gripped by civil war. We trace the instability of early Twentieth Century Spain to the coup d’etat led by Franco in 1936 and discuss the internationalisation of the Spanish War. We consider why the Nationalists won and the authoritarian regime that lasted until 1975.

Thursdays 7, 14, 21, 28 March, 10.30 – 12.30

Were these monarchs shrewd and cunning manipulators of their own identities and ultimately the most skilled propagandists of their eras? Debate and re-consider the iconic images of the Tudor monarchs - Henry VII, VIII, Elizabeth I - by exploring the portraiture, architecture, drama and language drawing on a variety of sources. This course is a repeat from 2016.

Wednesday 3 April, 10.30 – 12.30

Anthony Van Dyck replaced Daniel Mytens as official royal painter from 1632 until his death in 1641. At a time when Charles I was ruling without Parliament, discover how Van Dyck played an important role in royal propaganda with his portraits of the king, his queen Henrietta Maria and his growing family.

Wednesdays 1, 8, 15, 22 May, 10.30 – 12.30

This course will probe and discuss the complex circumstances concerning Gladstone’s ‘Irish Problem’, the installing of ‘Home Rule’, the Easter Rising of 1916, the Anglo-Irish War and Partition. There will also be a follow-on course Ireland since ‘Partition: 1922 to the Present’ in the autumn term 2019.

Saturday 11 May, 10.00 – 16.00

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed an explosion in witchcraft trials in England. Why was this? What was behind this disturbing phenomenon? Using contemporary documents, this study-day will explore the origins and practices of witchcraft and delve into the real-life experiences of ‘witches’, ‘victims’ and their accusers. This subject has previously been included in a 4 week course (Autumn 2018) as a single seminar, and will therefore will explored in more depth as a study day.

Wednesday 5 June, 10.30 – 16.30

An exploration of the first three Crusades & the role of the Knights Templar gives fascinating insights into the medieval mind and attitude to the new concept of ‘holy war’, and also to older established ideas of the importance of pilgrimage & veneration of holy sites & relics.

Friday 7 June, 10.00 – 16.00

Oral history interviews are widely used to portray the lived experience of community, family, work, leisure and wartime history. This study day will focus on oral history practice including preparation, designing questions, interviewing and recording technique, ethics, copyright, transcription and how to publish and archive interviews for history and writing projects. This course may also be useful to Creative Writers.

Thursdays 13, 20, 27 June, 10.30 – 12.30

Ever wondered about the day-to-day existence of our medieval predecessors, of the builders and occupants of medieval houses, castles, or churches? What did they eat? Or wear? What inspired them? Was life harsh and hard? Explore their lifestyle and culture through a variety of sources. This course is a condensed and revised repeat of our 6 week course from 2017 ‘Medieval Life viewed through the C21 Lens’.

Thursday 20 June, 10.30 – 16.30

Celebrate the rich hop-picking culture of Kent through literary accounts, descriptions by hop-farmers and hop-pickers, songs and photos. In particular we’ll explore the role of the migratory Londoner & Traveller hop-pickers who came each Autumn for ‘a holiday with pay’ and developed a distinctive and colourful lifestyle.

Fridays 1, 8, 15, 22 February; 1, 8 March, 10.30 – 12.30

This course looks at a selection of texts from the 1970s and locates them in the literary, political and sociological climate of the period. Authors to be studied include Hughes, Levin, Schaffer, Böll, Jhabvala, Malouf.

Thursdays 7, 14, 21, 28 February, 10.30 – 12.30

"You young people who served in the war – you are all a lost generation.” (Gertrude Stein). This course explores the work of the so-called Lost Generation: Americans living in Paris in the 1920s. We look at some poetry and prose that reflect the disillusionment of the post-war generation including writing by Fitzgerald and Hemingway. We conclude with a study of Cherie by the controversial French author Colette. This is a revised repeat of a similar course held in 2010.

Fridays 22, 29 March; 5, 12 April, 10.30 – 12.30

This course looks at texts by four well-known modern Canadian authors and explores the themes of identity, history and legacy in their work. Authors studied will be Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje and Carol Shields.

Fridays 10, 17, 24, 31 May, 10.30 – 12.30

This course looks at The Waste Land and Four Quartets by T S Eliot and Orlando and The Waves by Virginia Woolf, considering them in the context of the Modernist Experiment.

Fridays 21, 28 June; 5, 12, 19, 26 July, 10.30 – 12.30

In 1948, HMT Empire Windrush brought one of the first large groups of post-war West Indian immigrants to the United Kingdom, carrying 1,027 passengers from Jamaica to London. This six week course looks at a selection of key writers who explore the experiences of these migrants from the so-called “Windrush Generation”.

Friday 14 June, 10.00 – 16.00

The Gertrude Stein Salon in Paris at the start of the 20th century was influential in bringing together artists, writers and thinkers who would help define modernism in literature and art. This interdisciplinary study day examines a selection of these artists and writers and explores the interconnected nature of the art forms that constituted the ‘modernist experiment’.

Saturday 16 March, 10.00 – 16.00

Discover the classical music of Spain and disprove the long-standing joke among musicians that the best Spanish music was written by foreigners (such as Carmen by Bizet, Bolero by Ravel). As many Spanish composers centred their musical activities on Madrid, the capital is one of the Study Day’s primary themes, as well as an assessment of the musical paintings that can be found in the Prado.

Saturday 27 April, 10.00 – 16.00

Discover how the Classical period was very nearly one of the worst moments in the history of Western music and how the genius of composers overcame the limitations of the era and produced works of astonishing force and vision. Music discussed includes compositions by JC Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. This popular course is a repeat.

Saturday 6 April, 10.00 – 16.00

This workshop day is largely based on the acclaimed Journal to the Self©, created by Kathleen Adams, one of the world leaders in expressive writing. Although this day is designed particularly to support self-care, ideas for adapting the exercises for situations as varied as gaining confidence in workplace writing, exploring personal challenges, or reigniting creativity will be given. Limited places are available due to a smaller class size.