WEA courses

Learning about Abstract Art is fascinating and rewarding. This course covers its evolution from 19th-century pioneers like JMW Turner to movements such as Impressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Modernism, and up to the 21st century. It also highlights lesser-known female artists who have been overlooked by the art world. Each lesson starts with an interactive visual presentation featuring these examples. You’ll learn and practice using various drawing and painting materials, including inks, chalk, oil pastels, watercolour, acrylic, collage, and mixed media. This course is suitable for complete beginners and those wanting to improve their skills and develop their own style.

Many of us live in style. This course is specially designed for them. On this course you will not only learn to construct interesting projects but use them practically. While creating these lovely projects you can meet like-minded people in the group. This course will help you to concentrate and enjoy the moment while creating projects that are useful, creative and sustainable.

This course will investigate the emergence of a ‘Renaissance’ style (or styles) of Italian art over the period 1400-1450, considering a range of centres of artistic production, but with a particular emphasis on Florence. We will look in detail at a series of major works of painting and sculpture, in order to track how a new, self-consciously ‘modern’ style of art paradoxically came into being through artists re-inventing versions of an ‘antique’ classicism. We will focus on a wide range of artists, but especially the contributions of Donatello, Ghiberti, and Masaccio in Florence, and figures such as Sassetta, Pisanello, Uccello, and Jacopo Bellini from other centres in the Italian peninsula.

This course is suitable with learners who wish to improve their English to get ready to apply for a job, who are unemployed and looking for work and who also have English as a second language. Learners with English as a second language, who are looking for work and receiving benefits and aged 19 plus are eligible. If you are in receipt of work-related benefits. This course will help you to learn basic English to help you to work towards getting the job that you want. You will learn basic English that you can use to apply for jobs and prepare for interviews.

Osteoporosis is a health condition that weakens the bones making them fragile and more likely to break. The origin of the word is from the Greek language to mean 'porous bones'. Bones naturally have some empty space in them to allow them to bend and flex. Those with low bone density or osteoporosis have larger spaces and less bone mass - predisposing them to fractures and other bone injuries, especially in the hip, spinal vertebrae and some peripheral joints such as the wrists. Each week there is a simple, step by step guided practice to build bone strength, building and extending upon the previous week where we work on a variety of postures which are modified and adapted. These practices and techniques include slow, gentle, straightforward movements; breathing and relaxation techniques.

This course follows on from the basic sewing essential class ran over the Autumn we welcome new students as well as returning students as there is all way new skills, sewing tips and techniques to learn.

This course will explore painting colourful snow scenes using colour theory. You will follow this with master copies of the artist Berthe Morisot or female artist of your choice. Following this you will take what you have learned and incorporate it into a personal project of your choosing. This course will allow for you to incorporate previous knowledge and explore the aspects of it that speak to you. Learning is through tutor demonstration, painting and feedback from the tutor during sessions.

This course is for people who live in Warrington who are beginners in learning English. It is a face-to-face course. The course will help you to start using English every day ready to apply for work in the UK. It will also improve your confidence to speak to people in English in other everyday situations, like going to the doctor, shopping, using public transport and speaking to your child’s teachers. You will start to learn some of the words and phrases needed to feel part of your community and become more independent in your life in the UK.

This is an ten-week course for both beginners and experienced learners. The course aims to facilitate individual learners with their camerawork. A key goal is to give learners the confidence to experiment and adapt their practice, using the camera on manual, deploying the ‘Exposure Triangle’ of aperture, shutter-speed, and ISO to cope with different lighting situations and to substitute with artificial lighting and flash where appropriate. Digital cameras are complex pieces of kit with increasingly complex functionality and capabilities. Today’s digital photographers have an amazing array of possibilities at their fingertips, and this course aims to instil learners with the confidence to try new techniques and understand the need for technical research online and trial and error in the practical learning process. Learners should anticipate the need for some walking and/or travel to different photographic venues. The Donnison School will also provide an audience for the creative output of the group and will help them to appreciate the value of their work as their enthusiasm and interest in photography broadens.

This course is for those who wish to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to access a variety of services within the UK. Ever wondered who,what and where you can get support from to complete forms such as housing applications, how to make a Universal Credit claimandmuch more. This course may lead to further training support to develop your English skills to build confidence and knowledge. This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority.