Join an online course with the WEA

We know that online courses mean that you can learn from the comfort of your home. These online courses are open to adult learners like you. You can get the live experience of a WEA classroom without the inconvenience of travelling to a venue.

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Whether you are an online learning pro or this is your first experience of learning online, these courses are for you. Our supportive tutors are here to help you get the best out our classes. You might not be in a classroom, but you’ll still get the benefit of live face-to-face teaching. In addition to your classes, your course materials can be easily accessed digitally.

From online art courses to history courses, our adult learning classes are fun and engaging. Whether you want to improve your health and wellbeing, or learn new sewing skills, there is something for everyone.

Learn something new or build on something you already find interesting. Browse our range of courses and discover your perfect online class. Expand your interests, build your confidence and grow your skills.

Find the right online class for you today.

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History: Spirit of the North – Nordic Romantic Art

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the Nordic art movement of National Romanticism. The course will give a contextual historical background to the art and look at the art and artists of 19th century Scandinavia. In Northern Europe landscape painting has a powerful hold on our visual culture and especially in Scandinavia, where far northerly folk have found a kinship with nature to be indispensable. Nordic art is a little known treasure trove of stunning images of the Northern landscape and the country people. We will look in particular depth at the artistic developments in Norway.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 20/05/2024 -
Mon 22/07/2024
Times:
11:45am - 1:45pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Tim Stimson
Course code:
Q00014355
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
6 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Literature: The Literature of the Harlem Renaissance - An Introduction

The Harlem Renaissance was a flowering of Black American culture running from around the period 1919-1939 in Harlem and other Black communities. Its influence continues today and is global. Whilst all aspects of the arts and intellectual activity flourished during this period, we will focus on its literature and the debates that arose from it. How were Black people to portray themselves after centuries of misrepresentation? What purpose was literature to fulfil for Black communities? How much were the writings of the Harlem Renaissance to be evaluated as a separate movement? How much were they to be integrated with the literature of the dominant White culture? Together, we will be discussing these and other aspects of this fascinating and radical movement.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 22/05/2024 -
Wed 12/06/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Clare Jackson
Course code:
Q00014844
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Manging stress, fatigue and overwhelm

Do you find it difficult to wind down? When we’re stressed it’s hard to feel calm and relaxed. But you don’t have to live with constant stress. There are simple techniques you can learn to manage it. This stress awareness course is helpful for anyone who wants to learn to alleviate stress. In this course we will learn how to identify stress risk factors, recognise the symptoms of stress, and apply techniques to reduce it. Depending on your needs, there are various study options after this course.
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Course Information

Dates:
Fri 24/05/2024 -
Fri 24/05/2024
Times:
10:30am - 12:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Bex Harper
Course code:
Q00014238
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
3 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £5.55

Creative Writing: Explore Your Writing

This five week series of workshops will explore your creativity. We will concentrate on writing drawn from personal experience, writing poems and short stories. Each session will concentrate on one specific aspect of inspiration and technique, and at the conclusion of each session students will have created enough material to be in a position to write the first draft of a piece of prose or a poem. We will explore how to develop personal experience and transform it into writing. We will also explore narrative shapes of the short story: causative situations, rising action, climax and denouement versus alternative strategies, plot construction: how to build convincing narratives. We will discover characterisation, how to develop psychologies for your evolving characters and traditional and contemporary techniques for poems. Each workshop will be self-contained but taken together will establish the main elements of writing short stories.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 04/06/2024 -
Tue 06/08/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00014816
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
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  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

History: Henry VI, Joan of Arc and the Origins of the Wars of the Roses

This course is an exploration of the period of history in England and France during the first half of the fifteenth century. The death of King Henry V in 1422 left a nine-month-old infant as King Henry VI of England. A few months later, the death of the King of France left that infant as King of France as too. The war with the French, the Hundred Years War, was ongoing, and since Agincourt, going England's way. The appearance of an illiterate peasant girl who believed God had chosen her to lead France to victory in its long-running war with England changed everything. Joan of Arc led the French to an overwhelming and unexpected victory and began the process whereby England would lose most of its continental possessions. These are the years of Henry VI and Joan of Arc, the precursor to the Wars of the Roses. No previous knowledge of fifteenth-century history is necessary. Everyone is welcome to join this fascinating course!
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 05/06/2024 -
Wed 17/07/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Michael Long
Course code:
Q00014315
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80

Craft: Hand Embroider a Summer Flowers Wreath

Do you have basic hand embroidery skills, but would like more confidence to use them in the creation of your own decorative designs? During this online course you will learn how to design a basic floral wreath using summer flowers as inspiration, learn several new stitches and apply them to your design. The course is great for beginners and improvers who would like to increase their knowledge of hand embroidery and mix up basic and intermediate stitch techniques. You will have the opportunity create your design for the summer floral wreath and apply the embroidery stitches you will be learning during the course.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 05/06/2024 -
Wed 17/07/2024
Times:
11:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Trudi Price
Course code:
Q00014499
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £38.85

Art Practical: Learn to Draw Portraits

For many prospective art students, the thought of learning to draw a portrait is quite daunting, in fact some would say it is their nemesis! However, challenging yourself to confront this can be incredibly rewarding. The first time you achieve something akin to a real, convincing likeness is quite thrilling, and rest assured, it is a taught skill. This course is structured so you will learn skills of proportion, perspective, line, tone, and colour and be able to clearly analyse requirements for the task. This course is for complete beginners and those looking to improve their skills and develop their own style.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 10/06/2024 -
Mon 15/07/2024
Times:
10:00am - 11:30am
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Abi Kremer
Course code:
Q00014352
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
4 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.30

Homeland to Hamas: A guide to a greater understanding of the Middle East conflict

For many people the events in the Middle East are horrifying, worrying and confusing. It can be difficult to navigate the often bewildering complexities of the conflict and its historical context. This course is for anyone interested in broadening their understanding of this troubled area. We will explore the claims to Palestine from both the Arab and Jewish perspectives, investigate the progression of the conflict from 1917 to 2011 covering the impact of both world wars, foreign involvement and the different wars and insurrections that have broken out over this period.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 10/06/2024 -
Mon 05/08/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
David Halliwell
Course code:
Q00014370
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
0 places remaining
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £66.60

Art Practical: Relax With Line Drawing

In this course, you will use line drawing as a way to relax by developing a comprehensive understanding of line drawing techniques. We'll start by enhancing your ability to recall various line drawing methods. Next, you'll gain insights into the distinctions between these techniques, enabling you to effectively compare and contrast them. Through practical exercises, you'll learn how to apply these techniques, and you'll evaluate their success in different contexts. Finally, you'll have the opportunity to showcase your newfound skills by independently creating a unique piece using one of the line drawing techniques. By the end of this course, you'll be equipped with the knowledge and practical skills to confidently employ various line drawing techniques, produce your own compelling artwork and how to use drawing as relaxation
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 11/06/2024 -
Thu 04/07/2024
Times:
4:00pm - 6:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Abbie Cairns
Course code:
Q00014696
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

History: Aphra Behn: Poet, Playwright, Prisoner, Spy. Her Life & Times

Join tutor Michael Long on this fascinating one-off session, presented as part of Women's month, looking at the life of Aphra Behn. Aphra Behn was a playwright, poet, translator and royal spy. She was a woman in a world of men, a staunch Royalist, a spy, and condemned as a scarlet woman with loose morals. She was also the first woman in England to identify herself as a professional writer. She wrote to suit the occasion, and she wrote to make money. This is a brief look at her life and times rather than a focus on her literary achievements.
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Course Information

Dates:
Fri 14/06/2024 -
Fri 14/06/2024
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Michael Long
Course code:
Q00015617
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40