Uplifting subjects for spare-time learners
IF, AS I have, you have spent a good part of the summer mindlessly watching the Olympics on TV, perhaps now is the time to struggle off of the couch and take advantage of the classes and courses on offer at local colleges, community groups and universities. What better way can there be to celebrate the New Year than by engaging the grey matter through courses that spark your imagination and satisfy long-held ambitions?
JW3, the Jewish community and arts venue in London’s Finchley Road, runs courses and classes on everything from crazy golf to health and fitness; food and drink to cinema. There are family and youth courses and guided walks and trips.
Next month JW3 marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street with events including a walk along the route of the confrontation between Oswald Mosley’s Black Shirts and the people of the East End.
Participants will view the mural which stands as testament to the event and this event is not only for adults — children aged four to eleven can learn how to make their own mural.
University of the Third Age (U3A ) is for people no longer in fulltime employment, who share the learning they have with each other. It provides educational, creative and leisure opportunities and its ethos is that “the teachers learn and learners teach”.
U3A branches all around the country offer the chance to study more than 300 subjects, such as art, languages, music, history, life sciences, philosophy, photography, computing and crafts.
The Institute has recently moved to new premises in Kingsbury, north west London. With more than 100 years of offering adult education in north London, its track record of success means that many of its students return year after year, for fun or to progress their careers.
If you want to wow your friends and family with a scrumptious celebration cake, the Institute has just the course for you. Shiromi Dambagolla teaches how to decorate cup and celebration cakes with a swirl of buttercream and delicate hand-made flowers. The course is for all abilities and is very much hands-on.
The Institute’s art, design and creative department can also initiate you into the mysteries of antique and modern furniture restoration, dressmaking, embroidery and patchwork and quilting for beginners.
For those whose main concern is to get fit, classes include pilates, tai chi and yoga.
If you are planning a winter holiday, dip into the modern foreign languages courses, which include French, German, Italian and Spanish. And if music and dancing are your thing, you can try your feet at ballroom and Latin dancing, guitar or singing.
Short and evening courses are also available at colleges in central London, with perhaps the biggest range at London University’s Birkbeck College and the City Lit. The latter is reckoned to be the largest adult education college in Europe.
Birkbeck encourages applications from students without traditional qualifications. Its prospectus is massive, ranging from acting to world art, at many levels.
City Lit, in Covent Garden, has 24,000 part-time students, with evening, daytime and weekend classes. Its prospectus features 22 languages from French and Spanish to Czech and Japanese. Other classes include art, photography, creative writing, counselling, psychology, dance, health studies and computer training.
It also offers courses for deaf adults and for students who have learning disabilities.
At Barnet Southgate College, subjects include advanced sewing, pottery at all levels and creative drawing. Bound to be popular is its course on London beer. Students will learn how to appreciate beer and understand the different styles available in the UK — with tastings. Cheers.
Engage the grey matter and satisfy long-held ambitions’