19 January 2026

Monday 19–Wednesday 21 January 9.15 am COURSE FEES

This course will describe attempts to understand rock paintings, moving further into the minds and intentions of the painters. We associate our understandings with ethnographic records of hunters and gatherers from southern Africa and beyond who do or do not paint. Although we highlight the Western Cape, there will be many more examples of rock art from other parts of the subcontinent and beyond. The primary conclusion is that rock art was a complex meaning-making tradition rather than one that merely depicted objects from the artists' surroundings.

Monday 19–Friday 23 January 9.15 am

The 1930s gave us the defining images of depression, unemployment, fascism, international communism and militarism, leading to genocide and nuclear war. It started with the financial collapse triggered by the Wall Street Crash and ended with the political collapse of the Second World War. No decade before or since has subjected the world to such stress. Unemployment, inequality and deprivation caused outrage and helplessness. Everywhere governments were at a loss as to how to deal with events. Extremist parties and unlikely coalitions were often the result.

Monday 19–Wednesday 21 January 9.15 am

Medici hegemony in Florence spread across time from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries. The famous men all had mothers, wives and sisters – often mentioned only by name or listed on a family tree. Some of these women who were born de Medici or who married into the family were notable contributors to the culture, enterprise, power and collections of this dynasty. Some attracted public admiration or disdain. Others confined their roles to maternal and uxorial concerns, whilst some managed family, as well as charitable or cultural or religious activities.

Monday 19–Friday 23 January 9.30am–12.30 pm
Maximum number of participants 20

This practical course focuses on drawing objects and tools we use every day, using a variety of drawing techniques and materials. The sessions will focus on a clear step-by-step drawing programme using a variety of techniques, such as blind contour drawing, continuous line and grid drawing, as well as more expressive field drawing.
More complex objects will be introduced as participants gain in confidence and skills. The course will culminate in a mixed media drawing of a still life.

Monday 19–Friday 23 January 10.00 am–12.00 pm
Maximum number of participants 20

we will explore all aspects of how to write a great short story – from concept to completion. We will discuss theme, structure, setting, voice, character and genre and we will also study some great short stories and work out how you can turn your own idea into a short story. The workshops will comprise formal presentations, group discussions, writing exercises and plenty of opportunity to ask questions and get feedback from Sally on your writing. The aim of the week is to write some short, creative fiction.

Monday 19 - Friday 23 January 11.15am

This course will explore the political, social and cultural forces that shaped Western art, reflected in the lives and work of its most transformative artists. The following artists will be discussed: Giotto, Masaccio, Michelangelo, Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel, Watteau, Fragonard, Jacques-Louis David, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Gustave Courbet, Edouard Manet, Francisco Goya, Marina Abramovic, William Kentridg, Ai Wei Wei and Zanile Muholi.

Monday 19–Wednesday 21 January 11.15
Earth was considered to be created by a god within the relatively recent past – c6 000 years ago. However, when people started to look at the rocks rather than religious texts, they began to realise that Earth was incredibly old. The presence of fossils allowed for an initial and detailed ordering of the relative age of rocks. It was only in the early twentieth century, with the discovery of radioactive elements, that absolute, numerical ages were successfully applied to rocks, giving rise to our modern understanding of Earth’s eventful past.

Monday 19 – Tuesday 20 January 11.15 am

The Swahili world stretches 3 000 kilometres along the African coast from Somalia to Mozambique. For two thousand years the peoples of the East African coast have interacted with Indian Ocean trade networks, creating the dynamic Swahili world. This course will introduce this cosmopolitan culture through written and material evidence from antiquity to the twentieth century.

Monday 19 – Wednesday 21 January 1.00 pm

The interpretation of light, space and time in art has been influenced by prevailing theological and philosophical ideas, and by the irresistible pull of the zeitgeist through social and political forces. Can time be framed if it is constantly changing and nearly all art is static? This course will demonstrate how artists through the ages have navigated the difficulties of conveying the enduring law of physics: light, space and time.

Organised crime is evolving along with technology. In South Africa and elsewhere, social media is impacting lawbreaking, critical police investigations and court cases. There are already telltale signs of local gangs on TikTok. Disinformation is rife on X. And when it comes to communication, syndicates use secret messaging platforms designed to support their deceit. Traffickers and poachers, meanwhile, have expanded their focus from drugs, guns, humans and mammals, and are now even targeting ants. From abusing online systems to ravaging ecosystems, criminals are adapting.

Crustaceans have jointed legs that allow them to crawl, swim, burrow and carry out specialised functions in every aquatic habitat. They are masters of stealth and camouflage, and range in size from minute planktonic larvae to giant spider crabs. They have a single-chambered heart, and their blood is not confined to vessels. Our oceans could not function without crustaceans as they are major movers and shakers in food webs and carbon cycles, and krill are keystone species that are a vital food source for fish, seabirds, seals and whales.

President Donald Trump, through his unleashing of sweeping global tariffs, his slashing of aid to developing countries and funding to global multilateral organisations, has caused a great disruption of global institutions, markets, trade and multilateralism. The lecture will look at South Africa’s role in the new Trump global era. It will cover South Africa’s participation in the BRICS Plus alliance, the country’s role as part of the Africa Free Trade Area, and the country’s engagements with other key emerging markets and industrial powers.

Monday 19–Wednesday 21 January 3.00 pm

The lectures focus on the Wars of the Roses tetralogy (Henry VI 1–3 and Richard III), finishing with an alternative view of Richard to that portrayed by the Bard. The ascension of James I/VI following the death of the last Tudor, Elizabeth I, created a new environment and a need for Shakespeare to establish his influence in the much-changed royal court. The story of Macbeth falls in the middle of the medieval period and, although the play bears no resemblance to the historical character, it has strong medieval influences.

Monday 19–Wednesday 21 January 3.00 pm

In the music of Medieval Europe the major third key is avoided. We explore why this is and why this seductive interval took the music world by storm at the start of the Renaissance period.
The Baroque period saw the establishment of modern harmony. We explore how the development of different tuning systems struggled to keep up with the more adventurous harmonic experiments of composers from Monteverdi to Bach.

The growth of jazz in the early twentieth century gave a new meaning to the sensuality of harmony.

Monday 19–Tuesday 20 January 5.00 pm
This course will discuss the critical elements required to enjoy a healthy and fulfilling retirement. It focuses on the psycho-social and financial aspects – both equally important. First the five myths of retirement will be examined, followed by a scan of the eight elements that make up a successful retirement and the four phases of retirement, and how to navigate them. Next is a focus on financial planning. The content will be as relevant to those approaching retirement as it will to those who are already retired.

Monday 19–Wednesday 21 January 5.00 pm

This course explores the significant and evolving relationship between Africa and China in the twenty-first century. It begins by examining the development of political ties, tracing the history from China’s support for African liberation movements during the Cold War to the economic dimensions of this relationship, including trade, investment and infrastructure development projects. Finally, it looks at China’s increasing security presence on the African continent.

Monday 19–Wednesday 21 January 5.00

This course examines the global and local impacts of climate change through a social justice lens, using real-world examples to show how it deepens existing inequalities in the Global South. The concept of a ‘just transition’ to a net-zero carbon future is discussed. This approach moves away from fossil fuels while ensuring the transition is, prioritising creating opportunities, protecting livelihoods and addressing historic inequalities. The final lecture focuses on the legal and policy tools supporting a ‘just transition’, highlighting the role of active citizenship through democratic and governance structures.

Monday 19–Tuesday 20 January 7.00 pm

This two-lecture course aims firstly, to highlight the country’s considerable potential for economic and investment opportunities, and secondly, to offer high-level pathways for realising this potential. The analysis will focus on the need for, and the requisites of, policy course-correction, which is urgently needed for the nation’s welfare and prosperity.