Access to life-enhancing, wide-ranging adult education is an important element of lifelong learning and the creation of a learning society. While priority in the allocation of resources is given to work designed to meet the specific needs of our target groups, WEA Scotland also offers courses which are open to the general public.
These can cover any curriculum area and embody the WEA principle of negotiated content. We usually charge fees for open programme courses.
Open programmes:
- Can be subject or issue based.
- Are developed with the WEA's voluntary membership.
- Interface with a range of other organisations and initiatives.
- Supports the development of skills and understanding.
- Contribute to a socially just society.
- Are delivered in a variety of formats, including lunchtime lectures, weekly tutorial classes, day/weekend schools and field study trips.
The following themes regularly feature in the WEA's open programmes:
Social studies
Social History, Politics, Philosophy, Women's Studies and Media Studies form a framework for exploring the big issues of the day, such as the impact of globalisation on third world development, environment protection and sustainability.
Arts, heritage and culture
Partnerships with museums, libraries and galleries to extend access to and maximise knowledge of local and national collections.
Art appreciation develops critical skills and enhances appreciation of the visual arts,
making use of local public collections and exhibitions.
Theatre, drama and storytelling provide opportunities to study and discuss content, performance and production. This sometimes includes behind the scenes visits to the theatre and discussion with writers, performers and directors.
Literature study allows groups to read and share opinions on a wide range of literature selected by the group themselves with the guidance of a tutor.
Creative writing, writers' workshops, song writing, play writing, writing for radio, community journalism, and courses such as Getting Published and Poems and Pints encourage self expression and sharing of ideas while honing skills.
Earth sciences, geology and archaeology help to develop a sense of place through learning about the natural environment.