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November 2015
15/298 String Quartets with the Coull (2 day option) with Members of the Coull Quartet
STANDARD: ADVANCEDThe Coull Quartet returns to give its usual friendly, expert advice and encouragement to up to ten pre-formed string quartets. Bring along whatever repertoire you choose. As usual there is also a public concert on the first night of the course at 8 pm, and every course member is automatically entitled to entry. As with other string quartet courses, we now offer the enticing option of staying for an extra day, subject to adequate numbers of participants applying. If…
Find out more »15/354 String Quartets with the Coull (3 day option) with Members of the Coull Quartet
STANDARD: ADVANCEDThe Coull Quartet returns to give its usual friendly, expert advice and encouragement to up to ten pre-formed string quartets. Bring along whatever repertoire you choose. As usual there is also a public concert on the first night of the course at 8 pm, and every course member is automatically entitled to entry. As with other string quartet courses, we now offer the enticing option of staying for an extra day, subject to adequate numbers of participants applying. If…
Find out more »15/20C Ragtime Piano with Marco Marconi
STANDARD: INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCEDAward winning international jazz pianist and composer Marco Marconi moved to the UK in 2012 bringing both his talent and vast experience. In 2015 he leads this brand new course focusing on Ragtime, analysing different styles and the differences between famous rag-time pianists like Scott Joplin, Art Tatum and Jelly Roll Morton and many others. It will be very interesting to talk in depth about the role of each hand when playing Ragtime music and also how it…
Find out more »15/20B Arranging and Orchestration with Alwyn Green
STANDARD: INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCEDDiscover the joy of creating your own arrangements, learn to arrange piano music for ensemble or even for full orchestra, and learn how to convert an orchestral score into a work for small ensemble or piano. We
Find out more »Christmas Creations Patchwork and Quilting
Learn new techniques as you stitch Gail’s gorgeous designs: there will be lots of projects to choose from, to suit
all tastes, including three sumptuous kings, spectacular Rose Window wall quilts, doves, a poinsettia, a folded
patchwork star, Bethlehem rooftops at night, and an exotic Indian embroidered bird rope.
GI-Jive Dance Weekend! Learn 1940s Jive, Lindy Hop and Swing!
A fun weekend at Farncombe with Ian & Sheilagh Hartley to look at single time, 6 beat 1940s jive and eight beat Charleston and triple time Lindy Hop styles. The essential factor is to have fun whilst learning these exuberant swing dance styles!
Find out more »15/20H Composing with Andrew Toovey with Andrew Toovey
STANDARD: INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCEDOne of the most admired British composers of his generation, Andrew Toovey is also an experienced, sensitive and inspirational teacher. On this weekend course he advises and encourages, enabling students to find their own voices while developing the sometimes painful skills of self-criticism and self-editing. We
Find out more »15/20F An Introduction to Wind Chamber Music with Janet Myatt
STANDARD: ELEMENTARY, INTERMEDIATEJanet Myatt introduces players, who might come as individuals or as newly established ensembles, to one-to-a-part playing in groups of similar abilities. She
Find out more »December 2015
15/20J Playing Klezmer from Music with Members of the London Klezmer Quartet
Past London Klezmer Quartet courses have focused on learning by ear. By contrast
Find out more »15/360 Piano Trios with the Fidelio with Members of the Fidelio Trio
STANDARD: ADVANCEDThe
Find out more »15/SD1 Singing Day with Jonathon Willcocks with Jonathon Willcocks
Standard : INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCEDDistinguished conductor and composer Jonathan Willcocks leads this brand new Singing Day devoted to the choruses of Handel
Find out more »January 2016
Basic Woodworking 1
Produce basic joints including dovetails and framing joints, lengthening and widening joints. An intensive course suitable for confident beginners as well as those with a little (perhaps school day) experience.
Find out more »TCHAIKOVSKY’S LAST YEARS
Tchaikovsky was at the height of his powers, aged just fifty-three, when he died in the autumn of 1893. His Symphony No. 6, 'Pathétique', which he described as 'the best thing I have ever done', had been triumphantly received just a few days before his death, in what can only be described as 'suspicious circumstances'.
Find out more »SHOSTAKOVICH: a composer for our times
with Terry Barfoot, and a concert by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
We will explore the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, featuring some of his best loved works while exploring some less famous but equally rewarding compositions.
Find out more »Egypt’s Golden Age: the Reign of Amenhotep III
Egypt’s Golden Age: the Reign of Amenhotep III
Find out more »Rope Work
Spend two days learning rope and wire work and wire splicing techniques. If your boat needs spliced rope or wire rigging our Instructor will show you how to make what's needed.
Find out more »Brexit 410 AD – Britain Breaks from Rome
Brexit 410 AD – Britain Breaks from Rome
Find out more »Churches and chapels of Cambridge
Cambridge is rich in church and chapel architecture and this course is ideal for anyone who is interested in exploring churches, or who wishes to know more about the history and evolution of Cambridge through a detailed study of its churches. We will explore college chapels and town churches as we investigate their history and social context over the centuries.
Find out more »Justice and international development
Accounts of exploitation, abuses of human rights and freedoms as well as unnecessary deprivation reach the media with increasing frequency. This course will consider the efforts of international development organisations and the effectiveness of international legal agreements in giving the world's most deprived a change to challenge injustices.
Find out more »Early Christian Rome: art and history
This course will trace the development of Christian Rome as a major artistic and religious centre from Constantine (AD 306-337) to the time of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604), looking at the material evidence of churches, sculptures and mosaics, but also at the surviving historical evidence.
Find out more »The Renaissance portrait, 1450-1600
During the Renaissance society became more self-imaging, resulting in the establishment of the various formats and iconography associated with portraiture even today. We will examine how status, individuality and perception of self are portrayed through the work of both Italian and Northern artists including Leonardo, Titian, Raphael, Dürer and Holbein.
Find out more »Early 18th-century taste: when the South Sea Bubble burst into song and landscapes
Who wants to be a millionaire and eradicate national debt? 300 years ago people inflated the South Sea Company into a wondrous bubble. Scene-setters are Alexander Pope and John Gay, before we explore three resulting landscapes. A founder and Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Aislabie, created the sublime Studley Royal. Political winner, Robert Walpole stamped his ego across Houghton, while his virtuoso Norfolk neighbour but loser, Thomas Coke, postponed his Palladian and naturalised Holkham.
Find out more »Traditional Wooden Boat Building
Get insight into and practical experience of the construction and repair of traditional clinker and carvel craft. Learn tool sharpening, scarfing, fitting planks, riveting and steaming.
Find out more »Belgian and other European Laces
For experienced learners and those new to lace making who are able to work the basic stitches and want to learn the mysteries of the European laces. These include Brugge Bloemwerk, Flanders, Binche Parijse, Valenciennes, Chantilly, Idrija and Tonder. Many are taught with the aid of colour-coded diagrams.
Find out more »Painting Portraits with a Palette Knife
Explore exciting ways to implement palette knife techniques when painting portraits. During this 'hands on' workshop course, you will learn how to depict features of the human face with application of colours in either oils or acrylic. Demonstrations and guidance from a professional artist make this course suitable for all artistic ability levels.
Find out more »Chain Maille Chains
Discover the age-old art of chain maille for jewellery in this busy and exciting workshop and learn all the techniques, tips and tricks to continue designing and making jewellery beyond the course.
Find out more »A Winter Scene in Acrylic
A one day course that will show you how to paint winter landscapes with acrylic paint. Techniques covered will include using thick and thin paint, colour mixing, working from dark to light and glazing. The course will include winter landscapes in an impressionistic style from photographs supplied by the tutor.
Find out more »Villains in History through their Handwriting
Using graphology, the study of personality through handwriting, we will explore villains and their motivation and will also look at the contrast in the writing of those who are decent and fair. It should be a revealing course that can be followed up by a course to delve deeper into this fascinating subject.
Find out more »February 2016
Relative strangers? The family and households in modern British society
This course will explore sociological approaches to the household and family life in Britain since 1945. Topics covered will include definitions of the family, changing family types and the causes of change in household relationships. The link between the family, identity formation and cultural reproduction will also be examined. We will then evaluate how sociologists have studied family life and the theoretical models they have developed to explain the purpose of the family in modern Britain. The course will finish…
Find out more »Fairy tales: their histories and hidden meanings
We use the term 'fairy tale' to suggest a simple, fanciful or romantic story and most often associate the famous tales of Cinderella or Red Riding Hood with charming children's stories. However, many of the tales have a long history and some darker origins. This course examines the history of the fairy tale, from their beginnings in various oral traditions, through the collections of Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, to the modern period. We will study specific tales and investigate…
Find out more »Writing non-fiction: telling true tales
Whether you're interested in your great-grandfather's four wives, a famous general or your own life history, this course will help you to sift through the facts to find a compelling story. We will discuss the ethics of writing about the past and explore the tools available for anyone who wants to bring it to life on the page. This series of workshops will give you the chance to experiment with your own writing and boost your confidence in creating a…
Find out more »Prokofiev and the Ballet
Sergei Prokofiev composed the music for nine ballets, across a period of nearly forty years. Our weekend will explore his remarkable career and his various collaborations with choreographers and designers.
Find out more »Reading Classical Greek: Advanced
This 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 finally, in the Advanced groups, students read what they choose from the whole of Greek literature.
Find out more »Virginia Woolf: Jacob’s Room and The Waves
Jacob's Room was the novel in which Woolf began to find her distinctive voice; The Waves is arguably her finest achievement. We shall examine both novels, setting them in context. This course will be of particular interest to those who attended our 2013 course on Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse, or to anyone with an interest in Woolf's novels.
Find out more »Reading Classical Greek: Continuing Beginners (Students who began in September 2015 – Group E)
This 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 finally, in the Advanced groups, students read what they choose from the whole of Greek literature.
Find out more »Reading Classical Greek: Continuing Beginners (Students who began in September 2014 – Group D)
This 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 finally, in the Advanced groups, students read what they choose from the whole of Greek literature.
Find out more »Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle are the greatest of ancient Greek philosophers. This series of seminars is an introduction to some of the key elements in their thought.
Find out more »Reading Classical Greek: Intermediate
This 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 finally, in the Advanced groups, students read what they choose from the whole of Greek literature.
Find out more »Wild Seas – Crashing Waves in Watercolour
What can be more emotive than wild seas crashing onto rough, rugged rocks! Really let your colours flow on this exciting weekend of watercolour wonderment. Let your senses run riot and try out some different techniques with this stimulating subject.
Find out more »Honiton Lace
This course covers basic techniques for lacemakers who are new to this classic English lace. For experienced Honiton lace makers it is an opportunity to expand skills and understanding of this lace and gain inspiration and guidance on interpretation and design development. Whatever your level, enjoy the magic of lace making!
Find out more »Eastern Influences
Design and make a small project such as a wall hanging, cushion or bag, taking inspiration from Japan or Japanese textiles. A variety of machine and hand stitched techniques will be demonstrated and discussed for you to choose from to begin work on your chosen project.
Find out more »An Introduction to Stained Glass
This is a practical course suitable for beginners and those who wish to improve their skills. Learn to make a stained glass panel using traditional tools and materials. Students work on their own project with individual guidance from the tutor. Prepared designs are available from the tutor or bring your own.
Find out more »Ukulele for Beginners
One of the fastest growing musical pastimes is playing the ukulele. This course is aimed at those who do not read music and have never played an instrument before. A ukulele is needed, of course, but those without one can contact the tutor by email to arrange the acquisition of an inexpensive, entry level instrument.
Find out more »Still Life in Oils
This is a lovely weekend course where you will explore the wonderful genre of the still life. With plenty of demonstrations and guidance, you will be able to choose from a range of excellent items to construct and paint your own original still-life arrangements.
Find out more »Digital Photography – Taking Back Control of Your Photos
This course aims to take you beyond simple snapshots, offering you the opportunity to capture pictures that have more personal meaning and individuality. You will be encouraged to explore many of the camera's controls in a logical sequence that is easy to remember and repeat.
Find out more »Sail Making
Hands-on courses for professionals, amateurs or purely for pleasure... Design, cut shapes, machine/hand sew and maintain traditional sails for anything from a small dinghy to a round-the-world yacht.
Find out more »Exciting Techniques in Gouache
What can be more emotive than wild seas crashing onto rough, rugged rocks! Really let your colours flow on this exciting weekend of watercolour wonderment. Let your senses run riot and try out some different techniques with this stimulating subject.
Find out more »GRP Repairs
Start with the basics of working safely with polyester based glass reinforced plastic (aka GRP) and understand the functions of components (e.g. resin, catalyst, pigments) before moving on to practical hands-on activities from gel coat repairs and colour matching to larger hull repairs requiring temporary moulds and formers. Six students maximum.
Find out more »An introduction to the Roman Empire (online)
No single culture has affected the development of the modern world as deeply as the Romans. In law, architecture and language the heritage of Rome is so strong in Europe today that some academics claim that the Roman Empire has never really gone away. This course will examine the four centuries in which the Roman Empire ruled the west and ask why it left such an enduring legacy. It will argue that the main success of the Roman Empire was…
Find out more »Applying psychology to the workplace (online)
This course will begin with an introduction to Applied Psychology in work settings by taking a context based approach. Students will be introduced to the development of Applied Psychology and will then see how various psychological theories help our understanding of, and contribute to explaining, human behaviour in the workplace. We will look at the application of Psychology in the context of organisational behaviour, including leadership, working in groups, and employee motivation, satisfaction and wellbeing. There will be a different…
Find out more »Evolution: unravelling the meaning of life (online)
There are currently thought to be about 6 million species alive on the planet. This diversity is extraordinary, but how did all these species come to be and what causes one species to change into another? In this course we will explore the concepts of evolution by natural selection and view the natural world in an evolutionary light. We will follow the development of Darwin's theory into modern evolutionary biology.
Find out more »An introduction to international development: understanding contemporary issues and themes (online)
This online course is designed to introduce students to the field of international development. Participants will develop knowledge of contemporary issues and themes, such as poverty and livelihoods, global food security, aid, urbanisation, and sustainable development, and will be encouraged to think critically in looking at a variety of case studies and examples of international development from around the world. The course will be interactive in nature, combining discussion forums, real-time one-to-one and group discussions and an online interactive seminar.
Find out more »Creative writing: an introduction to life writing (online)
This course is aimed at anyone who wants to write a biography, memoir or other form of non-fiction. It will use examples and practical exercises to guide students through the skills needed to write interesting non-fiction: research, editing, how to tell a story and ways of using discription. Given the nature of creative writing, it is important that students' use of English is sufficiently fluent to be able to understand in English nuances of meaning and have a familiarity with…
Find out more »King Lear: tragedy and beyond (online)
"For in this the most terrible work of human genius it is with the very springs and sources of nature that her student has set himself to deal...We have heard much and often from theologians of the light of revelation..but the darkness of revelation is here." Algernon Charles Swineburne
Find out more »Wooden Boat Restoration
A five day melting pot of traditional and more modern techniques. Practical activities include tool sharpening, timber preparation, scarfing, gluing, removal and re-fitting of clinker planking, riveting and steam bending.
Find out more »Screen Printing, Stencilling on Polymer Clay
Screen Printing, Stencilling on Polymer Clay
Find out more »Strugglers
This is a very practical hands-on weekend with lots of playing. We will work through plenty of Tunes (songs and instrumentals) in varied styles such as Rock, Blues and Country.
Find out more »Reiki and walking weekend retreat
Reiki & walking retreats in the beautiful Limousin region of rural SW France - as featured in Living France magazine.
Find out more »No Boundaries Accoustic Band Workshop Extra
This extended 'No Boundaries' acoustic band course is open to any acoustic instrument player. We’ve successfully catered for every combination so far, including fretted and bowed stringed instruments, saxophones, clarinet, piano, flute and harmonica... what do you play? With a good social atmosphere, exchanging ideas and learning from each other, you will be encouraged to explore and improvise on wide-ranging material from Baroque to Blues via Folk and Jazz. Ear players, clef and TAB readers welcome. Please advise your chosen…
Find out more »Embroidery With a Silver Sheen
This course focuses on hand embroidery projects, using stitches such as stem stitch, french knots, long and short stitch, and incorporates a bit of silver work to the design. The silverwork can be using metal threads, such as pearl purl and jap, or simply silver stranded cotton and tiny silver sequins. Participants will be working on either their own design, or one supplied by the tutor. All stitchers are welcome.
Find out more »Schuberts Final Years
This course will examine the last flowering of Schubert's remarkable music in the final few years of his short life. It will look closely at such works as the song-cycle Die Winterreise, the 'Great' C major symphony, the last string quartet, the String Quintet in C and the final piano sonatas. The course will also compare Schubert's development with that of his contemporaries including the last works of Beethoven and those of Spohr, Weber and many others. It will examine…
Find out more »The History of the Arts in Britain
It is hard to imagine but most of our great artistic institutions are very young indeed. Some of our most famous such as the Royal Ballet, the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company being created only after the Second World War. This course will explore the history of music, theatre, literature, publishing, the visual arts, museums, cinema and broadcasting. It will examine the crucial role of private business, personal philanthropy and artistic vision - plus the involvement of…
Find out more »Cambridge wives: influential women in Victorian Cambridge
Cambridge society changed dramatically after 1882 when College Fellows were allowed to be married. The group of wives formed a new society and became pioneers in their own right in education, mental health care and the suffrage movement. Their achievements show how the Victorian idea of a wife as an 'angel in the house' was very different from the reality.
Find out more »Ancient cultures of South America
The Inka Empire (AD 1400-1532) ruled 10 million subjects across five countries without written language or the wheel. But how did they do it? If you want to learn about the cultural richness of the ancient world of Peru, then this course is for you. We will discuss pre-Columbian kingdoms, warfare, sacrifice and ritual, death and mummification, skilled artisans and craftsmanship, and the ability to survive in places of extreme environmental conditions.
Find out more »Early Netherlandish art c.1500: the art and time of Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch is a medieval painter on the threshold of the Renaissance. His startling visions of Hell are part of late-medieval religion, rather than evidence of heresy or witchcraft. Proverbs are another important feature of his work, but it is its enigmatic and individual quality that continues to intrigue us.
Find out more »Ritualism and revivalism: a brief history of Victorian religion
Christianity played an important part in Victorian politics, sociality and culture. It was an era of significant development of religious thought; of faith and doubt. This course is a survey of Victorian religion which includes studies on the feature of British Evangelicalism, the battles between Anglican and Nonconformists, Tractarianism, and other developments such as premillenialism and revivalism.
Find out more »The social mind
Humans are very social animals and this course is about why that is and how our social minds work. How did social behaviour evolve? What does it mean to have 'social skills' and why do some people have better social skills than others? And if we are such sociable creatures - why are we often so horrible to each other?
Find out more »Understanding Watercolour
Vincent Van Gogh said you needed twenty-seven heads to paint a watercolour, vowed to get to grips with the medium and then promptly dropped it. Is it any wonder? A big favourite with leisure painters and hobby artists, watercolour is both approachable and unintimidating, but takes a lifetime to master. This one day course will provide you with what you need to get started. Learn how to use the white of the paper, how to mix and apply colour without…
Find out more »Boost Your German
Having even more than a basic knowledge and understanding of a language is extremely useful when on holiday, but not just then. Whether you studied German in the dim and distant past, or more recently, neither your age nor the amount of experience you may have in learning and using German is a barrier to renewing your interest and deepening your understanding of this fascinating language. During the day, you will rediscover long lost knowledge and build on basic foundations,…
Find out more »Defending Scotland
For most of its history, Scotland has been an independent state and may well be one again soon. This course traces how its peoples defended themselves down the ages through looking at Scottish fortifications: their structures and their historical context. The course is fully illustrated.
Find out more »Concert with the Sacconi Quartet
The award-winning Sacconi Quartet will perform a programme of wonderful music: Mozart’s String Quartet in D major K499, Sibelius’s Moderato and Allegro appassionato and Schubert’s String Quartet in G major. The Quartet performs with style and commitment and is known throughout the world for its creativity and integrity of interpretation.
Find out more »The Social History of 19th Century France
The Social History of 19th Century France
Find out more »Starburst Necklace – A Beadwoven Design
Starburst Necklace - A Beadwoven Design
Find out more »Intro to Blues
A great holiday break where you will join other like-minded players for an excellent social and informative weekend.
Find out more »Songs, Satire and Sophistication: the History of Revenue’
One of the most popular and fashionable forms of entertainment in the 1920s and '30s was the revue, which provided humorous, fast-moving and sophisticated sketches and songs on topical themes. The early revues concentrated on music and spectacle; but gradually they became more intimate, emphasissing wit and style, as perfomers like Noel Coward joined-in. Come and hear what they were like in their hey day and find out what happened to them afterwards.
Find out more »Made in Britain: How Prehistory Shaped Our World
Before the coming of the Romans the people of these islands were non-literate, relying on word of mouth to pass on their skills and knowledge. Through an exploration of the archaeological inheritance they left behind this course reveals how their craftsmanship, ingenuity and endeavour shaped our world, laying the foundations for the Britain we inhabit today. This weekend includes an all-day field trip to Ham Hill Fort, Glastonbury Tribunal and Somerset Museum. All-comers welcome but please note the field trip…
Find out more »From King Lud to King’s Cross: The History & Life of London
Dr Johnson wrote: 'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life;for there is in London all that life can afford'. In this course, we shall look at the life of London from its foundation to the present day: its trades, industries, docks and rivers; its theatres, music halls and other entertainments; the creation of the suburbs and the role of the railways. We will also hear the voices of London's inhabitants, past and present, through their…
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