PLEASE NOTE THAT BOOKINGS FOR COURSES WILL CLOSE AT 12 NOON ON THE FRIDAY OF THE WEEK BEFORE THE COURSE STARTS. UNFORTUNATELY, WE CANNOT ACCEPT BOOKINGS AFTER THAT TIME.
THE WORLD ABOUT US
Various tutors
Starts: Tuesday 5 October 10 am -12 pm 6 weeks
Fees: £48/£42 Code: 05 103
Over six weeks, various tutors introduce you to their specialist subjects in a diverse series of stimulating lectures on a wide range of topics.
Programme:
October 5 – Fallen, Fallen is Babylon – Marian Kelsey
In this lecture we will follow the literary history of the city of Babylon. In biblical texts, Babylon is the ultimate enemy city, and the subject of many prophecies about its brutality to others, and later its violent end. The character of Babylon as personified in the Bible outlived the texts in which it was born. ‘Babylon’ survives into the modern day as a literary and cultural code for decadence, corruption, and imperial evil. Just as Babylon was used in the Bible to shape Israelite identity in distinction from the world around it, so today we use the cipher of ‘Babylon’ to define what we are not, and therefore, who we are.
October 12 – The Life and Art of Sir John Lavery – Jessica Fahy
Lavery rose to prominence as a painter of society portraits and contemporary scenes during the Glasgow International Festival of 1888. His determination to paint led him from his native Ireland to Glasgow where he tinted photographs to finance his art classes. He studied in London and Paris, returning to Glasgow in 1885. Lavery befriended the artists known as the Glasgow Boys, with whom he shared an interest in subjects from modern life. He enjoyed great success after his move to London in 1896, where he combined his talents as a portrait painter with an interest in contemporary events. Lavery was knighted in 1918.
October 19 – The evolving role of a botanic garden – Kevin Frediani
Kevin Frediani, Curator of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden, explores how botanic gardens have changed across the years and what they mean in our society today.
October 26 – Learning the Lessons – Alyson Leslie
Alyson is the author of Child Care Inquiries: A British History, a retired social worker and an award winning-researcher Alyson has in-depth knowledge of social work, child care and the inquiry system.
November 2 – China Today: The new Mao Zedong, Xi Jinping and the ascendancy of China – Renato Ammannati
November 9 -Science and Religion in Scotland, 1750–1870 – Dr Bill Jenkins
Today science and religion are often seen as being fundamentally in conflict, but this was not always the case. In late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Scotland the nature of the relationship between science and religion was vigorously contested between competing religious factions. This talk will explore the way this debate reflected deep religious and social tensions within the Scottish nation.
