Harold Pinter Terence Rattigan John Osborne This lecture examines how the theatre responded to the upheavals of the Great Depression, two World Wars, the Cold War, the Space Race and the Information Revolution.  It considers how, throughout this age of extremes, the show still went on and continues to reflect our story right up to the present. Lecturer: Mr […]

We explore how the iconic structure of Stonehenge has inspired painters, potters and poets resulting in a diverse catalogue of images and impressions which now grace tea towels in Wiltshire, phone cards in Japan and stamps from Bhutan.   Lecturer: Mr Julian Richards BA FSA Julian is an archaeologist who ran the Stonehenge Environs Project, a detailed […]

London has a world-class reputation for art in its many galleries.  This, however, is a lecture about the remarkable range of art outside in the streets, ranging from huge and expensive commissions to unofficial graffiti, sometimes audacious and often playful. We look at why art is there, how it has developed over the years and discover many […]

Fanny Mendelssohn, who later came to be known as Fanny Hensel, was a German pianist and composer. She was the sister of the composer Felix Mendelssohn and is considered to have been as equally gifted as her genius brother.  Even though there is a constant comparison of her music with that of Felix, she had […]

The Picture Gallery Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836–1912) Towneley Hall Art Gallery & Museum   In 2003 a project was set up to catalogue the UK’s national collection of oil paintings. It involved visiting over 3,000 collection locations across the UK and photographing 212,000 paintings. The lecture offers an insider’s view of this ambitious and unique project. […]

Years of working as an artist within the Criminal Justice System in England and Germany have given Angela unique insights into the destructive and costly cycle of crime, prisons and re-offending. In this thought-provoking talk she offers a deeper understanding of the minds, lives and challenges of offenders. Lecturer: Ms Angela Findlay BA (Hons) Dip. […]

The work of women photographers has often been unfairly neglected.  This lecture seeks to correct that by examining the contribution of three outstanding British practitioners: Julia Margaret Cameron, a Victorian pioneer, Jane Brown a brilliant portraitist and Faye Godwin, who excelled in landscape photography. We will also explore the work of two highly- influential Americans, […]

Gilding continues to be the ultimate faux embellishment and decoration.  This lecture explores the fascination for gilt and shows how gilding has been used throughout history to enhance various woodwork, sculptures, metals and paintwork. Lecturer:  Jo Mabbutt Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers and Freeman of the City of London. Originally a trained singer, pianist […]

Some Austen scholars consider that Jane Austen is much more subversive than is generally supposed.   In this lecture, Annalie Talent considers how far Austen rebels against expected codes of behaviour for women in her lifetime, with reference to her life and work. The Lecturer: Annalie Talent BA Annalie Talent has worked at several museums and […]

Velázquez(1599-1660) was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of spain, noted for his portraits, of the spanish royal family and others, culminating in the production of his masterpiece Las Meninas in 1656.  This Lecture considers the way in which the artist raises questions about reality and illusion, via complex and enigmatic […]