Are men from Mars and Women from Venus? How much truth is there behind the stereotypes? This course will explore the impact of our biology on sex and gender, and look at a number of other explanations for our gender development. For instance, what is the impact of the media and the culture we live […]

These classes are ideal for anyone who enjoys writing or would like to start. No experience is necessary. The emphasis is on having fun and through a combination of reference to published texts, writing and listening, confidence is built in writing fiction and non-fiction. Short, optional homework exercises are set weekly with supportive feedback from […]

Have you thought about writing your life story but are concerned that you will not know how? If so, this course is for you. In a supportive atmosphere, you will be offered suggestions designed to give you confidence in writing even if you have never done anything like this before. You may find that this […]

This course will continue to cover the basic principles and practical movements of both Tai Chi and Qigong (Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong). Exercise involves: Physical Movement, Breathing, Mental understanding and attention.

These classes are ideal for anyone who enjoys writing or would like to start. No experience is necessary. The emphasis is on having fun and through a combination of reference to published texts, writing and listening, confidence is built in writing fiction and non-fiction. Short, optional homework exercises are set weekly with supportive feedback from […]

An opportunity to study closely in English translation the debut novel of this French writer whose eponymous, imperfect heroine is one of the great characters in world literature. When the novel was first serialised in 1856 public prosecutors in Paris attacked it for obscenity, but notoriety only made the novel more popular. Critics now consider […]

These classes are ideal for anyone who enjoys writing or would like to start. No experience is necessary. The emphasis is on having fun and through a combination of reference to published texts, writing and listening, confidence is built in writing fiction and non-fiction. Short, optional homework exercises are set weekly with supportive feedback from […]

These classes are ideal for anyone who enjoys writing or would like to start. No experience is necessary. The emphasis is on having fun and through a combination of reference to published texts, writing and listening, confidence is built in writing fiction and non-fiction. Short, optional homework exercises are set weekly with supportive feedback from […]

This course will explore the poetry of three of the finest poets of the past fifty or so years: Wendy Cope, Carol Ann Duffy, and Gillian Clarke. The three poets are hugely varied in subject matter and approach, but each is also both interesting and accessible. We will spend two sessions discussing each poet.

This yoga class will serve as an introduction, each week building on what is learned. Sessions will consider the underlying philosophy for up to 15 minutes, continue with an exploration of poses and flow, and end with a relaxation.

Continuing with five more fabulous and fascinating better- and lesser-well known women artists, from across the ages and working in different mediums, we will look at their work afresh, listening to them talk about it - and their lives more generally - in their own words. (NB: this series is completely independent of the preceding […]

This course is for those with some basic knowledge and experience in creative writing who wish to continue to develop their skills in a supportive environment. It will focus on writing prose and the techniques used to write articles, short stories, novellas, and novels. • Develop your skills in the fundamentals of writing effective stories […]

The “Thousand and One Nights” known in Arabic as “Alf Layla wa Layla” are a collection of some of the greatest fables, fairy tales, stories, and historical anecdotes ever told.  During these 5 weeks, Wafà will take you on a journey through the origins of the Nights, how they were collected in 938 AD in […]

This course will analyse how political, religious, and social divisions in post-1815 France led to further regime changes in 1830, 1848, and 1870. The failures the Bourbon and July monarchies will be explored as will the role of the Bonapartist myth in the success and failures of Napoleon III and how republicanism became the form […]

The British film industry represents over a century of creativity and innovation and is responsible for some of the most memorable movies ever produced – as well as some uniquely British moments. Come and explore the studios, directors, and stars that shaped an artistic and commercial powerhouse to rival that of our friends in Hollywood. […]

These classes are ideal for anyone who enjoys writing or would like to start. No experience is necessary. The emphasis is on having fun and through a combination of reference to published texts, writing and listening, confidence is built in writing fiction and non-fiction. Short, optional homework exercises are set weekly with supportive feedback from […]

Have you thought about writing your life story but are concerned that you will not know how? If so, this course is for you. In a supportive atmosphere, you will be offered suggestions designed to give you confidence in writing even if you have never done anything like this before. You may find that this […]

These classes are ideal for anyone who enjoys writing or would like to start. No experience is necessary. The emphasis is on having fun and through a combination of reference to published texts, writing and listening, confidence is built in writing fiction and non-fiction. Short, optional homework exercises are set weekly with supportive feedback from […]

In this course we examine what fossils are, how they formed, their scientific importance and their classification, and we explore the changes in life on Earth throughout geological time. We also look at the morphology, lifestyle, ecology, time range and geological importance of some of the major groups of fossils, concentrating, perhaps, on graptolites, trilobites, […]

An elegant short novel about Florence Green, a "small, wispy and wiry" widow who in 1959 is determined to open a bookshop in a small seaside town, against polite but ruthless local opposition. Penelope Fitzgerald is herself a true original, a superb and perceptive chronicler of eccentricity as well as conformity, with a firm moral […]

These classes are ideal for anyone who enjoys writing or would like to start. No experience is necessary. The emphasis is on having fun and through a combination of reference to published texts, writing and listening, confidence is built in writing fiction and non-fiction. Short, optional homework exercises are set weekly with supportive feedback from […]

These classes are ideal for anyone who enjoys writing or would like to start. No experience is necessary. The emphasis is on having fun and through a combination of reference to published texts, writing and listening, confidence is built in writing fiction and non-fiction. Short, optional homework exercises are set weekly with supportive feedback from […]

This yoga class will serve as an introduction, each week building on what is learned. Sessions will consider the underlying philosophy for up to 15 minutes, continue with an exploration of poses and flow, and end with a relaxation.

This five-week lecture course will look at how the body – be it that of the artist or that of an independent muse – has been represented in different mediums and at different times through the history of art. Following on from the summer school workshop, which looked at body image and the ideal (although […]

This course is for those with some basic knowledge and experience in creative writing who wish to continue to develop their skills in a supportive environment. It will focus on writing prose and the techniques used to write articles, short stories, novellas, and novels. • Develop your skills in the fundamentals of writing effective stories […]

On this journey with Wafà, we will discover 25 of the most beautiful places of the Middle East. We will visit lush oases, endless deserts and UNESCO World Heritage sites from the Valley of the Kings, to Wadi Rum and Petra, to the Island of Qeshm, the largest in the Persian Gulf. We will discover […]

This course, open to beginners, will include an examination into phobias and the understanding of personality disorders such as: Bi-Polar Schizophrenia Narcissism Psychopathy Sociopathy

Using a combination of talk, live and recorded musical examples and video, this course will steer you through the joyous experience of opera whether you are already experienced, a complete novice, or somewhere in between. The emphasis is on enjoyment of each work and many of them will be available to watch in the ‘Met. […]

In 1903, the Wright brothers kick-started the modern era of high-speed travel by air. With practically no data to work with, they built up their own with painstaking experimental kites and gliders. Their final mastery of powered flight is one of humanity’s greatest engineering achievements. The photographic evidence available online brings the story to life.