This course examines the history of British involvement in the trade of enslaved Africans and the writing of some of the people most profoundly touched by that trade.

Austen reputedly fainted on hearing that her family would move to Bath in 1801. Scholars have argued about her reaction: was it joy or horror?

Education Summer School Students will have a daily placement at a local school, allowing the simultaneous development of education theory and practice.

This course investigates both the impact of the Roman invasion upon Britain and also the role and function of Britain within the wider Roman empire.

The world of British musical theatre stands in relation to, yet distinct from, American musical theatre. Through unique conventions and themes that articulate class consciousness, gender constructs, social values, and approaches to wit, comedy, and camp, British musicals offer compelling windows into ever-evolving culture and entertainment aesthetics.

The 18th-century Gothic genre, which embraced the uncanny, the fantastic, the supernatural, and the liminal space between life and death, has enjoyed a prolific and expansive afterlife. This course traces the development of the genre from its 18th-century beginnings in Britain, with Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764), to its prodigious dissemination across literary traditions and artistic mediums throughout the 19th century and beyond.

“Where can we live but days?” Philip Larkin asks in his poem, Days. 

This course explores how artistic representation works within a single 24-hour limit. Do different genres offer artists a spectrum of opportunities to depict a day in the life? And what do writers have to say about the span of a day?

You have a great story in your head, and now you’re ready to turn it into a play. This playwriting workshop offers students the opportunity to explore both the technique and aesthetics of contemporary playwriting in a supportive environment. 

Do you like food? Do you care about where it comes from? 

This course is for students who want to explore a better future through the sustainable food movement in the United Kingdom, with a specific focus on Bath.

The global food system is failing in various ways: the degradation of natural resources, unsound marketing and labour practices of Big Food corporations, and food insecurity. Against this ugly backdrop, the sustainable food movement emerges as a formidable counterforce, uniting advocates for food justice at every level of production.

Why do some people experience severe anxiety, depression, addiction, or psychosis, and how have psychologists attempted to understand and treat these conditions? Across history, mental illness has been understood in many ways, from moral failing or spiritual disturbance to disorders of the body’s chemistry. Today, research in psychology, neuroscience, and medicine seeks to explain how changes in the brain give rise to the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours that define mental illness. 

In this course, we will explore the science of mental health by examining the biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders.

Open to all with a passion for musical theatre performance, this course gives students the chance to develop and hone their acting, singing, and dance/movement skills through a rich mix of ensemble and one-on-one work.

This course explores how play, storytelling, and creative expression shape children’s learning and development across diverse educational contexts. 

We will examine how theories of development, culture, and learning can inform teaching practices that recognise children as active meaning-makers, in particular, how educators can listen to and work with children’s stories – through play, art, conversation, and imagination – to design learning environments that are responsive to the students' needs.