WEA Courses

Leonardo da Vinci: A Universal Man? 1 meeting on Saturday 23/02/2019. 10:00am - 4:00pm Tutor: Paul Ranford

Leonardo da Vinci was a designer of war machines, an architect, an engineer, a sculptor and a painter. This study day, based mainly on Leonardo’s own works, reveals the extent of his achievements in the sciences and the arts, and explores whether he was the “transcendental genius” of his time.

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Old Houses Revived and New Ones Built: Country Houses since 1980 1 meeting on Saturday 02/03/2019. 10:00am - 4:00pm Tutor: Adam Smith

The fortunes of country houses revived after 1980 allowing some to become homes again and creating a demand for new country houses. We will examine how and why this happened by looking at examples like Duncombe Park (North Yorkshire) which became a family home again in the 1980’s after decades as a school, Thenford House, (Northamptonshire) revived and surrounded by new gardens by Michael Heseltine and Tusmore Park (Oxfordshire) newly built as a family home in 2000-4.

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50,000 Years of Australian Art and Architecture: From the Rock Art of Kakadu to the Sydney Opera House 1 meeting on Saturday 09/03/2019. 10:00am - 4:00pm Tutor: Glenis Kerr-Elliott

The ‘eye’ of artists Aboriginal, European and Australian is fascinating to explore, It is deeply influenced by the landscape of this vast continent. We shall look at the work of the first Australians: aboriginal artists past and present, before moving on to the fatal impact with the arrival of Cook and the first Europeans. The art of wool and gold will then be followed by highlights of modern and contemporary art and architecture.

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Essentials of Music 1 meeting on Saturday 23/03/2019. 10:00am - 4:00pm Tutor: Tony Short and Paula Kennedy

This study day explores the boundlessly rich world of classical music, focusing on how listeners can deepen their appreciation of it. The day will cover the essential ingredients of music (melody, harmony, rhythm, etc.), the magic of the orchestra, the glory of the human voice (opera and song), and the subtle pleasures of chamber music.

Course Withdrawn.

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The Best Prime Ministers We Never Had…? 1 meeting on Saturday 30/03/2019. 10:00am - 4:00pm Tutor: Philip Giddings

We will review the careers of leading post-war British politicians who came close to becoming Prime Minister but in the event never made it. We will discuss why they failed to win the supreme prize and whether there are common factors which contributed to their failures. We will speculate about what a government led by them would have looked like.

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The Best Prime Ministers We Never Had...Further Thoughts 1 meeting on Saturday 27/04/2019. 10:00am - 4:00pm Tutor: Philip Giddings

Here we will continue our exploration of the careers of post-war politicians who came close to being Prime Minister but in the event never made it. Our first study day to consider this theme is on 30 March, to be followed on 27 April. Each day can however be taken individually.

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Introduction to Archaeology: A Hands-On Approach 5 meetings on Mondays starting 29/04/2019. 2:00pm - 4:00pm Tutor: Michael Pengelly

Archaeology is all around us if you know what it looks like. The principles and practice of archaeology will be explored with ample opportunity to handle artefacts, as well as practical sessions on flint and pottery recognition. The archaeology of Reading and its surrounding district will be examined and placed into its wider context. No previous experience of archaeology is necessary and after the course participants should have the skill set necessary to carry out independent research.

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Artistic Patronage of the European Courts 5 meetings on Tuesdays starting 30/04/2019. 10:00am - 12:00pm Tutor: Dalila Castelijn

From the Renaissance onwards court art flourished in Europe to express the power, prestige, taste of the rulers and to help form their identity. We shall study the commissioning of art and architecture by the Valois of France, the Habsburgs of Austria and the Romanovs of Russia by focussing on selected works created for patrons such as Francois I in Paris, Empress Maria Theresa in Vienna and Peter the Great in St Petersburg.

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China: Past, Present and Future 5 meetings on Tuesdays starting 30/04/2019. 2:00pm - 4:00pm Tutor: Charles Tyzack

After lecturing on China for many years, Charles Tyzack, in his final class for the WEA, looks at some permanent themes in Chinese history and culture. These include the continuing influence of Confucianism, the elements of national identity and the relationship between the state and the people. China’s changing relations with other parts of the world will be considered and we will ask in what ways this vast and influential country may develop in the future.

Course Withdrawn.

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Political Philosophy: Principles and Practice 5 meetings on Tuesdays starting 30/04/2019. 2:00pm - 4:00pm Tutor: Euan Metz

What justifies our having the political institutions that we have? Why should we obey political authority? How should we distribute goods in a state? This course will address these and related questions by examining the work of influential political philosophers, such as Hobbes, Locke, Kant and others more recent.

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Breaking the Boundaries: American Art of the 20th Century 5 meetings on Wednesdays starting 01/05/2019. 10:00am - 12:00pm Tutor: Sandra Smith

In a follow up to our survey course on American Art, this short series of classes will investigate the contribution made by American artists in the 20th century. We will concentrate on the explosion of modernism in the USA, from its slow beginnings before the First World War to a full flowering in the art of the 1940s. Post war American art movements such as Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism and Conceptual Art will be explored, with a detailed investigation of the works of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and the minimalist sculptors of the 1960s.

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World Heritage Architecture in Mainland Europe 5 meetings on Thursdays starting 02/05/2019. 10:00am - 12:00pm Tutor: Keith Hasted

UNESCO’s designation of World Heritage in Europe includes some of the world’s most extraordinary and varied architecture. Our sampling of this will include key buildings of Palermo and the cathedral of Monreale, Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Turin under the House of Savoy, Chartres cathedral, historic Lyon, Speyer cathedral, Lisbon’s Jerónimos monastery, Granada’s Alhambra and the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht.

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Earth, Air, Fire and Water: The Geological Processes that Shape our Planet 5 meetings on Thursdays starting 02/05/2019. 2:00pm - 4:00pm Tutor: Jill Eyers

The world is a very mobile place and full of natural disasters. Geology explains all and we will explore everything from volcanic eruptions to how rocks are formed and mountains made, to earthquakes and tsunamis. This is the how, what and why of some frightening and magnificent events that have shaped, and continue to shape, our planet.

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Mum, Mom or Mam? What Our Language Choices Say About Us 1 meeting on Saturday 04/05/2019. 10:00am - 4:00pm Tutor: Jonnie Robinson

Despite increased social mobility, regional accents and dialects still remain powerful markers of our identity. We look at the fascinating varieties of English, as revealed through its pronunciation, words and grammar, and discuss notions such as language change, slang and Standard English. We will also invite you to participate by exploring your own dialect and accent.

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Rachmaninov: The Last Great Romantic 1 meeting on Saturday 11/05/2019. 10:00am - 4:00pm Tutor: Chis Carter

Sometimes wrongly dismissed as superficial, Rachmaninov nonetheless remains one of the world’s best-loved composers. Yet the popularity of his best-known pieces has eclipsed other masterpieces such as the ‘All-Night Vigil’ and ‘The Isle of the Dead’. We shall review a cross-section of characteristic works, and assess the circumstances which led to his flight from Russia and the launch of a career as one of the leading pianists of his day.

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