STUDY DAYS 2024-25
Members are welcome to invite guests for an additional charge. Where demand exceeds places, however, Members will continue to have priority.
Our study days offer a more in depth examination of a particular topic.
Full days begin at 10:00am for a 10:30am start and finish at 3.15pm. Half day sessions run for approximately two and a half hours morning or afternoon.
Refreshments will be provided.
An extra fee is charged to cover the cost of the Study Day.
Coming next...ART IN THE CITY - CITY OF LONDON ANGELS AND ARTISTS INSPIRED BY THE RIVER THAMES
with Alexandra Epps
Tuesday 4th February 2025
Half Day - 10 am to 12.30 pm
This Study Day will start by exploring the fascinating post-war stained glass within the historic churches of London, followed by the often intriguing, modern and contemporary, public art on its historic streets and finally look at how artists have been inspired by the River Thames over the last 300 years.
This year we've enjoyed FASHION, FURY AND FEATHERS - A SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE HIGH STREET AND THE HIGH COST OF FASHION
with Tessa Boase
Tuesday 19th November 2024
Full Day - 10 am - 3.15 pm
Tessa Boase is a freelance lecturer for The Arts Society along with other organisations such as the V&A, English Heritage and the National Trust.
She’s the author of two books of social history: The Housekeeper’s Tale – The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House, and Mrs Pankhurst’s Purple Feather – Fashion, Fury and Feminism, Women’s Fight for Change. Her interest lies in uncovering stories of invisible women of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, revealing how they drove industry, propped up high society and manipulated politics.
STUDY DAYS 2023-24
WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED...THE ART OF CORNWALL
with Sarah Burles
Thursday 1st February 2024
Half Day - 10 am - 12.30 pm
Throughout the history of art particular places at particular times have inspired intense periods of creativity. From the late 19th century, Cornwall became a focus for a number of artists who challenged conventions, beginning with the artists colony at Newlyn and then around the coast at Lamorna. In the 20th century, St Ives was home to British modernists such as Bernard Leach, Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson who in turn inspired and were challenged by a younger generation of avant-garde artists that included Peter Lanyon, Roger Hilton, Patrick Heron and Wilhelmina Barns - and others who lived and worked in Cornwall from the 1880s to the 1970s and explore their artistic influences, relationships and legacy.
Lecture 1 - Newlyn and Lamorna
Lecture 2 - St Ives and Modernism
WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED... 'WILDE ABOUT OSCAR'
The Extraordinary Life and Times of Oscar Wilde
with Simon Whitehouse
That took place on Friday 24th November 2023
Study Day - 10 am - 3.15 pm
The day is broken down into three lectures:
Oscar Wilde: Famous For Being Famous
In this introductory lecture, we look at Oscar's early years, including his artistic circle & his rising celebrity.
A Handbaaag! The Importance of Being Oscar (and Earnest!)
In this lecture we look at Oscar at the height of his success including the publication of his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as his theatrical successes (with a special focus on his final and most brilliant play, the Importance of Being Earnest).
The Trials of Oscar Wilde: Famous for Being Infamous
In the final lecture, we discover how, at the peak of his success, disaster struck, leading to the criminal trial of the century, prison & exile. We conclude the day with an appreciation of Oscar's enduring legacy and how he continues to inspire and entertain us today.