Southend’s Beacon College offers a new range of courses…. come and meet some like-minded people!

A Southend college is running an innovative new range of courses launching in May for individuals in the Southend area who are looking to make new friends; have recently moved to the area or are thinking of joining a local interest group.

The ‘Meet Like Minds’ courses at Southend Adult Community College are all designed to combine a strong social element and fun learning experience and run on Saturdays over a 3-week period. The courses cover a wide range of topics including art history, film and book appreciation, photography and art.

Starting from the beginning of May are: Gallery Exploration - this relaxed course involves a lecture and discussion introducing art history. There will be two separate gallery visits in London, where you will be able to experience and discuss work in a relaxed yet informative atmosphere.

Sketchbook Ramblers - offers an opportunity to combine walking with sketching. Ramble at a leisurely pace and make several stops to make drawings or quick colour studies using your favourite portable medium.

London On The Silver Screen – take a light-hearted look at how London was depicted in the movies over the last century, through the work of Hitchcock and Ealing Studios and modern favourites, such as James Bond and Notting Hill. The course includes a tour around the city, followed by a film screening and relaxed group discussions.

London In Literature - take a fun look at how London has shaped the visions of Britain’s finest storytellers, from Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Louis Stevenson to J.K Rowling. The course includes a tour around the city visiting the homes and haunts of London’s most celebrated scribes and their fictional creations. The course will conclude with a relaxed group discussion on how writers have in turn predicted the future of the city, including the forecasts of Aldous Huxley and George Orwell.

Taking Better Photographs - ideal if you want to take better photographs or create artistic shots. Looking at landscape and portrait photography, you will go outside to practise your skills.

Priced competitively all courses offer price concessions to those aged over 61 or on benefits.  Southend Adult Community College is one of the few colleges nationally still able to offer a reduction on its prices. Travel and admission costs to venues are not included in the price of the course and will need to be paid separately.