Featured Courses | LeisureCourses.net - short courses & residential study breaks in great locations - Part 26
-
Astronomy days: The life and death of stars
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesWhy do we expect the Sun to keep shining for the next few billion years? What will happen after that? Are we really made of stardust? In our second astronomy day school, we will investigate the science of stars, explore how they form, why they live for so long, and what happens after they die...
Read more ... -
The story of life on earth: four billion years in seven hours
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThrough talks and group discussions, we will explore the evolution of life on planet Earth: from the first replicating molecules to the evolution of 'superorganisms'. We will discuss what we mean by 'life' and the key processes that have led to such a bewildering diversity of species that share our planet. This day-school will provide...
Read more ... -
Survival and revival: the country house in the 20th century
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesCountry houses rank among our most visited heritage sites, protected by legislation and public demand, yet many houses have been demolished and their collections continue to be sold. This course will question whether the 20th century was one of doom and gloom or one in which country house owners adapted to survive. Key areas to...
Read more ... -
Cyberpsychology: understanding life in the digital era
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesWe live in the digital world where emerging technologies have infiltrated everyday life. Have you ever wondered how our concept of identity has been redefined and how much influence social media has on your decisions? Come and explore the impact of emerging technologies on human behaviour and the future of humans.
Read more ... -
The medicinal properties of plants
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesWhy do plants have names such as 'allheal' and 'woundwort' and why did we import tons of bark from a South American tree? A look at the historical and present day use of plants in both alternative and mainstream medicine, concentrating on those containing alkaloids, essential oils, mucilages and other chemicals of known medicinal value...
Read more ... -
The masterpieces of French opéra comique
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesBeginning in the popular entertainments of the early 18th-century summer and winter fairs of Paris, the opéra comique soon developed into a recognisable form of operatic entertainment: a play with music reflecting the lives and ambitions of ordinary people. Soon this type of opera acquired its own theatre, and rapidly became a focal point in...
Read more ... -
How do fossils record evolution? An exploration of the nature of the fossil record (online)
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis course addresses the question of how fossils record evolution through an exploration of the nature of the fossil record. From a look at the initial discovery and interpretation of fossils we will examine the emergence of their modern interpretation as the remains of once living organisms. This reveals the biased and fragmentary nature of...
Read more ... -
Psychology in context (online)
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis online course will introduce participants to the discipline of psychology by taking a context-based approach. Participants will be introduced to the history of psychology in the first week and will then see how various psychological approaches help our understanding of human behaviour in the following weeks. The course will introduce various fields within psychology,...
Read more ... -
The fall of the Roman Empire (online)
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesWhat killed the Roman Empire in the West? Here we investigate the suspects, from crop failure to barbarian invaders, to discover what destroyed antiquity's greatest civilization. This course introduces one of the most fascinating periods in history and examines the controversies surrounding events which still affect our world today.
Read more ... -
Creative writing: an introduction to short story writing (online)
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThe short story is often described as one of the most satisfying literary genres, both to read and to write. This course encourages students to identify how these stories 'work' by considering classic examples which, in each class, illustrate a particular aspect of short story composition. An exchange of ideas and responses between students and...
Read more ... -
Modern physics for beginners: from Schrödinger’s cat to time travel
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesAre you intrigued by quantum weirdness or the idea of faster-than-light travel? This day course will introduce you to the ideas that revolutionised physics in the 20th century, and will explore how these ideas can be applied, from understanding volcanoes to navigating with GPS systems.
Read more ... -
Introduction to Taoist philosophy
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesTaoism is an ancient Chinese school of thought concerning human existence. We will examine the ideas of Taoist thinkers like Lao-tzu, Chuang-tzu, and others to see how their views about the Tao, return, no-mind, and non-activity/naturalness provide a philosophy of the human condition.
Read more ... -
Five young artists on the eve of the Great War
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesWe follow the artistic fortunes of Richard Nevinson, John Currie, Mark Gertler, Edward Wadsworth and Adrian Allinson, the five young artists portrayed in John Currie's 1912 painting 'Some Later Primitives and Madame Tisceron'. On this journey, we will encounter triumph and despair, fame and obscurity, and study some of the greatest British art of the...
Read more ... -
Urban experience, its history and its prospects
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesOver half of the world's population now lives in towns and cities, and urbanisation is accelerating. Has 8,000 years been enough for the species to adapt to high density and low certainty? Do cities produce distinct types of community? With cases ranging from ancient Sumer and Rome to Mexico City and Hong Kong today, we...
Read more ... -
Advanced French: Monstres sacrés du cinéma français
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis weekend course is held entirely in French. It focuses on various topics illustrated through literature and art, often related to present cultural events, and aimed at language improvement. The texts, chosen from a wide range of classic and modern writers, will be used as a basis for discussion throughout the sessions. A variety of...
Read more ... -
Jewish humour in the films of Mel Brooks and Woody Allen
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesYou think The Producers is hilarious? Or do you think: "well, talk about bad taste!". Maybe you think that Annie Hall is Woody Allen's greatest film, or Manhattan, or Zelig, or Crimes and Misdemeanors...? Very different in their comedy personae, Woody and Mel both started their professional careers writing for Sid Caesar in the 1950s...
Read more ... -
Reading Classical Greek: Advanced (prose)
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis weekend course is part of a series designed for those who want to learn Classical Greek. Over a series of weekends, Beginner students are introduced to the basic elements of grammar through reading passages adapted from ancient Greek authors. At Intermediate level, students move onto collections of passages selected from major Greek writers, and...
Read more ... -
Reading Classical Greek: Intermediate
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis weekend course is part of a series designed for those who want to learn Classical Greek. Over a series of weekends, Beginner students are introduced to the basic elements of grammar through reading passages adapted from ancient Greek authors. At Intermediate level, students move onto collections of passages selected from major Greek writers, and...
Read more ... -
Reading Classical Greek: Continuing Beginners (Students who began in September 2014 – Group D)
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis weekend course is part of a series designed for those who want to learn Classical Greek. Over a series of weekends, Beginner students are introduced to the basic elements of grammar through reading passages adapted from ancient Greek authors. At Intermediate level, students move onto collections of passages selected from major Greek writers, and...
Read more ... -
Reading Classical Greek: Continuing Beginners (Students who began in September 2015 – Group E)
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis weekend course is part of a series designed for those who want to learn Classical Greek. Over a series of weekends, Beginner students are introduced to the basic elements of grammar through reading passages adapted from ancient Greek authors. At Intermediate level, students move onto collections of passages selected from major Greek writers, and...
Read more ... -
The pollinators: painting European butterflies
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesIn this course you will learn to draw and prepare a pencil drawing of a European butterfly, recording carefully the anatomical structure and pattern of the wings and then going on to complete a watercolour illustration. Practical work will be supplemented with an illustrated talk looking at the work of the great insect and butterfly...
Read more ... -
The Grand Tour
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThe Grand Tour was an artistic and cultural phenomenon of the 18th century. This course analyses its effect upon portraiture, landscape, architecture and the art of collecting. We will also focus on the significance of Italian culture to the Englishman abroad and the impact of his patronage upon artistic development in both Italy and England.
Read more ... -
Intermediate Spanish: Barcelona, cultural capital
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis course provides an opportunity for total immersion in the Spanish language and Hispanic culture as well as plenty of speaking practice in a sound and supportive environment. It offers a mixture of language and culture - learning through topics such as Spanish and Latin American art, cinema, cuisine, fiestas, history, literature, etc. - thus...
Read more ... -
A history of special education in England
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesIdiot, defective, educationally sub-normal, handicapped – the labels put on children with special needs have changed over the last 150 years, but is it really a story of progress? You can judge for yourself as you explore behind the walls of the forgotten schools to which these forgotten children were consigned.
Read more ... -
Women of the Italian Renaissance: who were they?
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesHave you ever seen a 'desco da parto' (birth tray)? What is it and what was it used for? And why is goddess Flora so often shown in paintings with a bare breast? For what special occasions were these things commissioned? All these objects are linked to the female sphere of Renaissance women. Through this...
Read more ... -
Reading Classical Greek: Advanced (verse)
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis weekend course is part of a series designed for those who want to learn Classical Greek. Over a series of weekends, Beginner students are introduced to the basic elements of grammar through reading passages adapted from ancient Greek authors. At Intermediate level, students move onto collections of passages selected from major Greek writers, and...
Read more ... -
Beginners’ Portuguese (Brazilian)
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesA course to lay the foundations or develop existing language skills. The main focus will be on speaking, listening and reading the relevant language at the appropriate level. Authentic materials will be used as far as possible to ensure that language use is embedded in its cultural context. Learners will be provided with grammatical building...
Read more ... -
Flash fiction
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesFlash fiction is the art of the very short story and is a great place for beginners to start and old hands to refine their skills. These sessions expose students to a range of styles, subjects and approaches and aim to build both confidence and expertise through writing short complete pieces of fiction. Challenging and...
Read more ... -
Writing with confidence
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesThis short series of stimulating workshops aims to take the isolation and frustration out of creative writing, and inject enthusiasm and confidence in their place. The basic nuts and bolts of good fiction will be scrutinised, with attention to constructing a satisfying plot, writing believable characters, developing a narrative voice, creating effective dialogue, building atmosphere,...
Read more ... -
Everyday ethics
Listed on January 29, 2016 by Madingley Hall in Featured CoursesDo animals have moral standing? How ought we treat the environment? What ethics do we need in a consumer society? This course offers an introduction to the basic positions in normative ethics, namely virtue ethics, deontology and utilitarianism, and then looks at some ethical issues of pressing contemporary concern. It is a stimulating introduction to...
Read more ...