History, culture & writing
We offer an extraordinary range of courses during the day, in the evening and at weekends, from the most popular subjects to the completely unique, including film studies, creative and non-fiction writing courses and American history courses. Many of our tutors are nationally recognised in their fields, including published authors, and practising professionals in the media. As a learner you can also benefit from our partnerships with organisations such as the British Film Institute and close links with The British Museum, the London Transport Museum and many others.
Want to speak to a member of the Humanities Team to find out more about our courses? Call us on 020 7492 2652 or email us on [email protected]
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Clothes make the woman: a sartorial history of women in the 20th century
Course Date: Sat 17 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetDid you know that ready-made clothes were initially disparaged on moral grounds, that Amy Johnson was dressed by Schiaparelli, and that some 1960s’ employers introduced ‘modesty boards’ for mini-skirted staff? Come and find out more.Full fee: £39.00Senior fee: £31.00Concession: £20.00 -
Masters of cinema: Paul Thomas Anderson is 'The Master'
Course Date: Sat 17 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetPhantom Thread’s Anderson is out there on his own as an American auteur. Like Bergman, he understands horror only needs two human beings, possibly in love - with a third to crowd them - who contain all monsters inside themselves.Full fee: £49.00Senior fee: £39.00Concession: £25.00 -
Poetry in the making
Course Date: Sat 17 Nov 2018 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetThis workshop is an opportunity to get support and advice in developing and fine-tuning your work, in a culture where new poems will grow. This course is best suited to more experienced poets.Full fee: £199.00Senior fee: £199.00Concession: £80.00 -
Faith and doubt in Victorian poetry
Course Date: Sun 18 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetVictorian Britain saw an upsurge of religious affirmation in the context of profound unease concerning the assertions of faith. We shall consider how the work of the age’s most accomplished poets expresses that paradox.Full fee: £49.00Senior fee: £39.00Concession: £25.00 -
The politics and society of contemporary India
Course Date: Sun 18 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetThe structure of Indian society, its colonial heritage, and the fabric of India's rich cultural history have shaped, and in turn have been shaped by, the politics and economic changes over the centuries - telling the rich story of how contemporary India came to be. We will examine contemporary India through its politics and society in this interactive lecture day-course. Tutor: James Chiriyankandath.Full fee: £39.00Senior fee: £31.00Concession: £20.00 -
The art of letter writing
Course Date: Fri 23 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetThere's more to the art of letter writing than talking about the weather. Regardless of whether or not you send your mail electronically or through traditional routes, this short course will help you write more inspiring correspondence to penfriends and loved ones.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £59.00Concession: £24.00 -
A voice from Europe: the legacy of John Berger - novelist, critic, art historian
Course Date: Sat 24 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetDiscover Berger's half a century of writing in every conceivable genre on literature, art, creativity and many of the intractable issues facing the world today, including “To the Wedding”, “The Seventh Man”, and “The Red Tenda of Bologna”.Full fee: £49.00Senior fee: £39.00Concession: £25.00 -
Performance poetry
Course Date: Sat 24 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetWrite poetry and perform it, finding your own style and delivery under the guidance of a spoken word artist. Explore the differences between performance and other forms of poetry.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £59.00Concession: £24.00 -
Londinium: a tale of two cities (Roman London AD 47-457)
Course Date: Sat 24 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetA look at the spectacular rise and fall of Londinium from c. AD 47 to its abandonment in c. AD 457. Includes an introductory lecture, a museum visit and a guided city walk.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £47.00Concession: £26.00 -
Dickens' London
Course Date: Sat 24 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley Street'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' Enjoy this introduction to Dickens' work and the London of his time. Morning lecture at Build followed by a walk in the area of the city connected to his work.Full fee: £49.00Senior fee: £39.00Concession: £22.00 -
A taste of journalism
Course Date: Sat 24 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetEver dreamed of becoming a journalist? Come and learn the basics from an experienced feature writer. Discover how journalists develop ideas, get quotes and present their material in a feature style.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £59.00Concession: £24.00 -
Philosophy and history of mathematics: a brief introduction
Course Date: Sat 24 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetMathematics is one of humanity's great achievements. Explore fundamental ideas about logic, geometry and numbers in early Greek thought, and discover modern debates about how maths underpins science. This course can be taken alone or as an introduction to other philosophy and maths courses.Full fee: £99.00Senior fee: £79.00Concession: £50.00 -
Comedy sketch writing
Course Date: Sun 25 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetDiscover the art of creating a great comedy sketch. Study the brilliance of classic sketches and learn how to deploy their techniques in your own work.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £59.00Concession: £24.00 -
Micropoetry: small poems, big ideas
Course Date: Sun 25 Nov 2018 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetExplore the emerging art form of micropoetry in this one-day workshop. Compose your own poetry and learn how to make every word on the page count.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £59.00Concession: £24.00 -
Literary Evening Lecture: David Constantine - What my poetry owes to translation
Course Date: Fri 30 Nov 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetCome and join us for a stimulating evening of lecture and discussion at our November Literary Evening Lecture, where the writer and translator David Constantine will read from his poetry. He will also talk about how translating from foreign languages has helped him in his own writing. The evening will include a more general discussion of the need for translation in the making of any nation's poetic language.Full fee: £9.00Senior fee: £9.00Concession: £9.00 -
Whores, lepers and heretics: minority groups in the Middle Ages
Course Date: Sat 1 Dec 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetWe will look at the rise of persecution in medieval Europe and how ‘outsiders’ were identified in art and literature before 1500CE.Full fee: £49.00Senior fee: £39.00Concession: £25.00 -
A taste of anthropology
Course Date: Sat 1 Dec 2018 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetWhat is anthropology all about? Find out on this introductory course. Look at the aspects different societies have in common and focus on some particular cultures and customs.Full fee: £49.00Senior fee: £39.00Concession: £25.00 -
Create your first poetry collection
Course Date: Sat 1 Dec 2018 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetYou've written and workshopped your poetry, and now you're ready to create your first collection. But where do you begin with that process? This day workshop offers instruction and advice on putting together your first poetry collection.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £59.00Concession: £24.00 -
Autobiography into fiction
Course Date: Sat 1 Dec 2018 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetLearn how to turn real-life experiences into gripping fiction. Develop your writing and explore techniques for transforming personal stories into written narratives, realistic or fantastical.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £59.00Concession: £24.00 -
Writing for blogs: a taster
Course Date: Sun 2 Dec 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetGot a passion, a journey or an obsession to share? Blogging is the perfect medium through which to share your interests with the world. This one-day workshop teaches the essential skills required to write blogposts that will resonate.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £59.00 -
Classics evening lecture
Course Date: Wed 5 Dec 2018 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetJoin us for our new series of talks by leading classicists on a wide variety of topics. You need no prior knowledge of classical languages or history - just bring your curiosity. Visit bildutrapagaran.info/discovertheclassics for details.Full fee: £9.00Senior fee: £7.00Concession: £5.00 -
Craft focus: voice in fiction
Course Date: Sat 8 Dec 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetVoice is an act rather than a thing, a passage of breath, a movement of sound, a certain transfer of meaning – the one special feature of writing that bridges the lonely gap between writer and reader. Develop your voice with acclaimed novelist, Tasha Kavanagh.Full fee: £59.00Senior fee: £59.00Concession: £24.00 -
Introduction to Islam: historical emergence, current issues
Course Date: Sat 8 Dec 2018 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetThe course is about exploring Muslim history: What is Islam? Who is a Muslim? Explore these questions through
a study of the Quran, the Prophet and the socio-political and religious developments in the early history of
Muslims. You may discover that there is more than meets the eye.Full fee: £49.00Senior fee: £39.00Concession: £25.00 -
Rejoice and be merry: religious music, song and performance in England during Christmastide, 1718 - 1918
Course Date: Sat 8 Dec 2018
Location on this date: KS - Keeley StreetAspects explored include the emergence and impact of The Messiah together with the acceptance/writing of carols. Also considered are wassailing, waits, gallery choirs, concerts and the origins of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.Full fee: £29.00Senior fee: £23.00Concession: £15.00