Roll up! Roll up!
Utagawa Hiroshige, Asakusa ricefields and Torinomachi festival, from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 1857
Image here via: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asakusa_ricefields_and_Torinomachi_festival_(Asakusa_tanbo_Torinomachi_m%C5%8Dde)_(CBL_J_2695).jpg
Augustus Edwin Mulready, Newsboy, 1863-66
York, York Art Gallery, YORAG : 125
Image here via: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/newsboy-8016
Psst…. Don’t tell Duffy, but we’re going to see a cat.
OK… I concede that this isn’t necessarily especially newsworthy in the grand scheme of things. But it is for us, as said cat features in an exhibition about which we’re pretty excited. And yes - that means that Robert and I are going on a date! Now that is rather more newsworthy (for us at least), because due to various practicalities, we don’t get out much (in fact our last date was sufficiently newsworthy for us to also warrant being mentioned on these very pages).
We’re going to see a super-looking exhibition at York Art Gallery - Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print. We’re so excited by the prospect of getting to see some of our favourite woodblock prints ‘in the wild’ that we’re celebrating by announcing a course we’ve been cooking up for a while.
…Because yes - the actually-newsworthy news is that we are delighted to announce our programme of courses for April and beyond!
…And so, without further ado, to our first seven-week course…
Japan: Art and history
Next, in lieu of our long-established ten-week format, we’re experimenting with two five-weekers. First, brace yourself for some astonishingly beautiful images. As the horrors of AI apparently nudge us ever-closer to the precipice, unable to trust what we see or hear, encroaching on the livelihoods of all sorts of creatives, escape with us back to gentler times, for tales of doggedly determined experimentation and artistic creativity. But don’t worry - it’s not all cosy nostalgia. There was also some dog-eat-dog competitiveness between these tech pioneers!
Next up, another 7-weeker which we’ve long wanted to do. Not just because the prospect of virtually exploring sun- and intrigue-filled piazze and breath-taking art seems especially delightful entertainment for late spring/early summer evenings. But quite a bit because of that.
Florence under the Medici
Our post-half term five-weeker is self-explanatory - but, as I hope you’ll agree, no less exciting for that…
Next, for those of you with a particular penchant for things Roman (you didn’t think we’d forget you, did you…?!)…
Cicero: Rhetoric and retribution
This leaves us space for two Short & Sweets (huzzah!)…
Finally, I’m happy to say that we have not one but TWO in-venue offerings for our Pickering-based Denizens: in addition to our now-traditional 7-week course, we’re able to offer a day school too!
Phew!
As we’ve often said, scheduling courses is more of an art than a science, and we are continually seeking to tailor our programme to reflect what you’d like in terms of content, timing, and course duration. We’re experimenting with regard to the latter this term in response to feedback. Do please let us know what you think!
To see all courses currently available, click here.
PS For those in York and its environs, voila details of the exhibition we’re about to visit:
PPS Some of you may recall from an earlier course what this particular cat represents. I should perhaps reassure you that this does not feature in our imminent date, and the cat here simply represents a Wrightington Towers-related ‘in’ to the theme of this post.
_(CBL_J_2695).jpg){kind=link}
Sorry… what’s that…? Why yes - that may indeed be a shameless attempt to add to the lure of one of next term’s courses…