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WEA courses
Displaying 191 - 200 of 211
Art Practical: Portraiture Painting Online
This course aims to introduce students to the art of portraiture in a relaxed and supportive environment. Using enlarged photos, you will learn how to draw the face, neck and features correctly and then move on to painting. The class is ideal for beginners who would like to learn new skills or improve old ones, offering students increased confidence, mental health and well-being.
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Course Information
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Dates:Wed 07/01/2026 -
Wed 25/03/2026Times:11:00am - 1:00pmDuration:11 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Frank FerrieCourse code:Q00023339How you'll learn:OnlineAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £81.40
Textiles and Fashion: Beginners' Sustainable Sewing - Small Sewing Machine Projects (Thurs)
Come and join a new course aimed at beginner sewers. No previous experience of the sewing machine is necessary. We will start with getting used to the machine and making a simple pin cushion. This will also make us think about what fabric we can recycle and use up all the little scraps of fabric you may have from previous projects. Using recycled materials not only helps in reducing waste but also sparks creativity by encouraging you to think outside the box.
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Course Information
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Dates:Thu 08/01/2026 -
Thu 02/04/2026Times:11:30am - 2:30pmDuration:12 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Rebecca SpearCourse code:Q00022949How you'll learn:OnlineAvailability:0 places remainingStatus:Waiting list (Waiting list)Fee rangeFree to £81.40
History: Post War Britain: The Thatcher Years
This course continues our look at post war Britain. It also stands alone as a separate offer and new students are most welcome. As before we will take a thematic rather than strictly narrative approach to the period. We will examine four key areas: politics during these years; Britain’s place in the world; the economy; and social change. Students will be encouraged to share their own memories of the period through discussions and questions. Margaret Thatcher was a conviction politician and accepted that many of her policies were divisive. As we look at her time as Prime Minister, we will adopt a non-partisan approach. As with any long serving Premier she had both successes and failures. We will approach both with an open mind.
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Course Information
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Dates:Fri 09/01/2026 -
Fri 13/02/2026Times:10:30am - 12:30pmDuration:6 sessionsLocation:Bourne Hall (Epsom)
Spring Street
Ewell
Epsom
KT17 1UFTutor:Julian RobertsCourse code:Q00022873How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £50.40
Art History: Women Painters in Renaissance Art
This course will cover a discussion of the importance of the social and sexual mores of the times in history. In four weeks we will look at the lives and works of these remarkable women. Starting with the virtually unknown Sister Plautilla Nelli, followed by Sofonista Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana and finally Artemisia Gentileschi. We will cover the problems that faced them because of the historical place women were in at this time due to their sex and then at the ways they employed to get round these societal problems. Then we shall study their body of work in the context of the moment of history that they lived in.
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Course Information
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Dates:Mon 12/01/2026 -
Mon 09/02/2026Times:10:00am - 12:00pmDuration:5 sessionsLocation:OnlineTutor:Kate PhillipsCourse code:Q00022294How you'll learn:OnlineAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £29.60
WEA Membership
WEA membership is changing: more information is coming soon!
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Membership Information
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Duration:12 monthsFee:£15
History: Empire of Many Nations: The Habsburg Monarchy from 1848 to 1919
This ten-week course explores the final decades of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, from the revolutions of 1848 to its dissolution at the end of World War I. It examines how the Habsburg monarchy navigated nationalism, liberalism, industrialization, and imperial reform in a multi-ethnic empire under constant pressure. Key topics include the 1867 Ausgleich, the empire’s complex governance, cultural life in Vienna, rising nationalist movements, and the road to Sarajevo and war. Through political analysis, primary sources, and cultural history, students will gain a deeper understanding of how this vast and diverse empire both shaped and was undone by the forces of modernity.
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Course Information
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Dates:Mon 12/01/2026 -
Mon 23/03/2026Times:10:15am - 12:15pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:Christ Church United Reformed Church (Or
Willett Way
Petts Wood
Orpington
BR5 1LHTutor:Laurie JohnstonCourse code:Q00022396How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £84.00
History: The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the House of York, 1460–1485
This ten-week course delves into the final phase of the Wars of the Roses, charting the turbulent decline of the House of York from its height under Edward IV to its destruction at Bosworth in 1485. Through detailed case studies of battles, political intrigues, and key personalities—including Warwick the Kingmaker, Richard III, and Henry Tudor—we examine how factionalism, betrayal, and ambition shaped England’s destiny. Each session explores a pivotal moment, revealing the fragility of monarchy and the emergence of Tudor power. Primary sources, historiography, and modern interpretations illuminate this dramatic period of dynastic conflict and national transformation
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Course Information
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Dates:Tue 13/01/2026 -
Tue 24/03/2026Times:2:15pm - 4:15pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:The Drive Methodist Church (Redbridge)
Eastern Avenue
Redbridge
IG4 5ABTutor:Laurie JohnstonCourse code:Q00022300How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £84.00
Art Appreciation: The Ottoman Empire in Crisis: Reform, Resistance, and Transformation (1846-1896)
This five-week course examines the period of intense transformation within the Ottoman Empire from 1846 to 1896, a time marked by reform efforts, external challenges, and internal dissent. Focused on the era of Sultan Abdulmecid I and Sultan Abdulhamid II, the course covers key events like the Tanzimat reforms' continuation, the rise of constitutionalism, and the tensions leading to the Empire’s gradual decline. We will also explore the impact of nationalism, imperialism, and the Empire’s shifting relationship with European powers. Through these lenses, the course provides insights into the complex forces that shaped the late Ottoman state.
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Course Information
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Dates:Tue 13/01/2026 -
Tue 10/02/2026Times:10:30am - 12:30pmDuration:5 sessionsLocation:Enfield Baptist Church (Enfield) (Enfiel
Cecil Road
Enfield
EN2 6TGTutor:Laurie JohnstonCourse code:Q00022408How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £42.00
Literature: British novels of the 1970s
The 1970s saw exciting new developments in the British novel. Fiction took a dystopian turn, but there were also new voices in detective novels, SF, fantasy and the literary novel. We’ll be able to share and debate interpretations, sharpen our critical and appreciative faculties, understand what fiction can tell us about the society and culture that produced it, and, hopefully, be inspired to read other works by the writers featured on the course.
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Course Information
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Dates:Tue 13/01/2026 -
Tue 24/03/2026Times:3:30pm - 5:30pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:Redbridge Institute of Adult Education (
Gaysham Avenue
Gants Hill
Ilford
IG2 6TDTutor:Brandon RobshawCourse code:Q00022945How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £84.00
History: Empire Incorporated: The Rise and Rule of the East India Company 1600-1874
This course explores how a private trading corporation became one of the most powerful imperial forces in history. Over ten lectures, students will trace the Company’s evolution from a 17th-century merchant venture to the de facto ruler of India, examining its economic strategies, military conquests, political scandals, and cultural impact. The course also considers resistance within India, reform efforts in Britain, and the Company’s enduring legacy. Combining global history, political economy, and postcolonial analysis, this course offers a critical understanding of corporate empire-building and its lasting consequences.
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Course Information
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Dates:Wed 14/01/2026 -
Wed 25/03/2026Times:10:00am - 12:00pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:Ripley Arts Centre (Bromley)
24 Sundridge Avenue
Bromley
BR1 2PXTutor:Laurie JohnstonCourse code:Q00022496How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:AvailableFee rangeFree to £84.00
Philosophy: Philosophy behind the Headlines
The course will briefly introduce the principal ideas of a selection of philosophers, ranging from John Stuart Mill to Phillipa Foot, and apply these to the discussion of the news headlines and the controversies that lie behind them. This course will encourage discussion and sharing of ideas about current affairs and will involve reflecting on how to make philosophy a part of this discussion.
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Course Information
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Dates:Thu 15/01/2026 -
Thu 26/03/2026Times:2:00pm - 4:00pmDuration:10 sessionsLocation:Blue Beetle Room (London)
Hendon Lane
Finchley
London
N3 1TRTutor:Daniel WilliamsCourse code:Q00022659How you'll learn:In venueAvailability:10+ places remainingStatus:Available