WEA Steyning to hold new courses starting next year

Turkey’s role today:

A shorter course than usual, six sessions instead of ten, with a correspondingly lower fee.

The tutor is Kim Ashcroft, and the aim is to illuminate the background to press reports on Turkey, particularly topical at present while it is on the front line of efforts to control Islamic State in neighbouring parts of Syria.

The course will examine Turkey’s role today in the context of its history, the legacy of the Ottoman Empire and Ataturk’s secular nationalism.

It will look at the stories behind the headlines, from headscarves to press freedom and Kurdish nationalism, and seek to understand them better by accessing information about Turkey’s history, politics, culture and religion and through discussion of the issues.

Turkey is an economically successful, modern, Muslim nation looking both East and West.

It will explain why the AKP government is popular with some and so controversial with others and examine the arguments for and against Turkey’s membership of the European Union

Venue: Catholic Church Room (Steyning). Start date 20th January 2015 – Tuesday mornings at 10.30 for six sessions only - Fee £52

England’s Green and Pleasant Land:

Historic Houses of the South Downs is another shorter six session course.

The tutor is Janet Sinclair and it will cover the great South Downs estates, workers, families and collections, Upstairs and Downstairs.

It will look at the occupants: working people, crafts people, owners/ patrons and their place in the historic house and at the development of architecture through function.

The houses and estates covered will include Stansted Park, Petworth, Arundel Castle, Goodwood, Cowdray, Uppark, Parham, Pallant House and West Dean and the course will look at various topics – destruction, reconstruction or conservation? House or museum?

Writing about a historic house – the changing character of guide books (whose story is being told and for whom?)

One of the six sessions will be a three hour visit to a local great house.

Venue: Penfold Hall, Steyning. Start date 3rd February 2015 – Tuesday afternoons at 2.30. Fee £52.

Myth and Legend in Opera:

Robert Carrington’s course for spring 2015 – Robert has been teaching music appreciation courses in Steyning for over a decade and they are always very popular.

This course will explain how myths and legends give composers scope to write beautiful and dramatic music that mirrors the story they are telling.

It will visually explore how composers from Monteverdi to Strauss and 20th Century composers added new ways of exploring ancient truths

Venue: Jarvis Music Room (Steyning). Start date 14 January 2015 – Wednesday afternoons at 2pm for 10 sessions – fee £84.

n For all these courses book online at www.wea.org.uk or freephone 0800 328 1060.

For more information email [email protected] or ring 01903 816190.

Report contributed by Barry Linfield, WEA Steyning committee.