Academics
At the heart of the Liberal & Creative Arts Summer School is an exploration of what it means to be human and the interconnections between our shared past, present existence and future potential. The modules will emphasise the important role the arts & humanities can play in illuminating economic, political, environmental, social and technological problems.
Each of the Summer School modules will meet two times per week, with a morning and afternoon session on different days. Modules will be taught in lectures, workshops and seminars enhanced by guided independent learning. There will be an afternoon field trip each week that is open to students on all modules.
Each module will allow participants an opportunity to engage in critical and creative thinking, philosophical debate and analytical research as they explore their chosen subject.
Credits, study time and level
All modules are validated by St Mary’s University as part of the suite of BA degrees offered by the School and offer 20 credits in the UK system. This normally converts to 5 US credits or 10 ECTS, but please do check the conversion rate used by your university prior to enrolment.
Our Global London programme offers a short course, designed specifically to encourage US students to ‘top up’ their primary module choice with an option that enables them to accrue 6 US credits across the Summer School.
All of our modules are validated at UK level 5 or 6, with no pre-requisites. You should expect around six hours of contact time and six hours of independent study every week for each 20 SMU credit/5 US credit module.
London Theatre*
Related subjects: Performance, Literature, Cultural Studies
London is one of the world’s great cultural venues and this module looks explicitly at the way in which the city shapes and maintains its understanding of itself through its theatrical output. Exploring both the heritage and current eco-systems governing the production and presentation of performance, you will interrogate key narrative and stylistic themes, building an enhanced understanding of the innate theatricality of London as well as exploring the value of the city as a major creative force, shaping itself, through its theatrical output. Each week you will visit a play or entertainment and write a review. Assessment is by a portfolio of these reviews.
*A £350 supplement is required for this module to cover the cost of 8 theatre visits.
Classical Acting
Related subjects: Performance, History, Creative Studies
Long before realising his iconic literary status, Shakespeare was an actor treading the boards on the London stage. His work, therefore, can best be appreciated through the prism of performance. This module, led by actors and directors, focuses on the study of Shakespeare in performance. Through a mixture of skills acquisition, textual analysis and practical experimentation you will develop an increased confidence in engaging with the writer and his world, learning to appreciate the texts as a series of maps guiding the actor in performance. Through this process we will explore the value and relevance of performing classical text in a modern society. Included in the module is a visit to The Globe Theatre to see a Shakespeare play in performance.
Enlightenment to Romanticism
Related subjects: History, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Literature.
The Enlightenment period was a moment of scientific discovery, rationality over superstition, and the advancement of technological innovation. This course explores the cultural, intellectual, and political development of Western Europe through the advent of the Enlightenment up to the age of Romanticism by examining the literary and historical contexts of the age. This is an interdisciplinary course which studies theological, literary, and historical texts through close analysis. This module includes a trip to the British Museum and the Foundling Museum.
Popular Culture and the Humanities
Related subjects: Contemporary History, Film and Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Sociology.
West London boasts a wealth of culture embedded in the arts and humanities, including sites steeped in Rock and RnB music history. Just a stone’s throw from the St Mary’s campus, Eel Pie Island attracted popular artists like the Rolling Stones, The Who, and Pink Floyd. Eric Clapton busked in nearby Richmond, and Twickenham served as the backdrop to The Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night.
As well as the popular culture aspect of this course, aesthetic, sociological, and cultural conventions will also be considered to gain an in-depth knowledge of the historical context of the Humanities. The course is run by one of the world’s most eminent experts on The Beatles, Dr Richard Mills, and includes a walking tour of London highlighting popular music and culture.
Renaissance London
Related subjects: History, Literature, Cultural Studies, Art History.
The Renaissance began with the Tudors in the 1500s and ended at the beginning of the Civil War in 1640. To understand this significant period in English history, students will undertake an interdisciplinary study of London’s society and culture, engage with a variety of literary and historical sources and consider the culture and society of the period from a wide range of perspectives. Students will visit Hampton Court Palace to witness the physical and spatial legacy of the Tudor times and enjoy active learning outside of the classroom.
In and Out of the Gothic
Related subjects: Literature, History, Film and Media Studies, Cultural Studies.
St Mary’s University is part of Strawberry Hill House, built by Horace Walpole and famed as the home of the Gothic. It was here that the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, was set. This makes St Mary’s the perfect setting for exploring the Gothic revival through the arts and humanities to its later reimagining in popular culture.
Starting with its roots in Romantic aesthetics and culture, the module considers the Gothic novel, art, and architecture in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This is followed by a study of popular cultural Gothic, including film, television, music, subcultures, and online communities. The module will consider questions of cultural value in relation to adaptation of Gothic across cultural forms as well as identities of Gothic representations and audiences. This module includes a tour of Strawberry Hill House.
Global London: Representing the City
This module is designed as a ‘top-up’ course for international students. When taken alongside one of our other modules it means you will complete six US credits over the course of the Summer School. This means that, in principle, you will be eligible for US Federal Funding (though please discuss this with the mobility officer at your home institution, as regulations vary).
The module will explore the global dimensions of London as it is represented in literature, in history, in film, and through the material culture of its architecture and museums. You will consider a number of texts that illustrate the transnational and global trends that have shaped life in the UK’s capital city at various points. It will provide an introduction to key methods of critically reading and evaluating texts to support you in your learning across the programme.