Subject taster workshops

This session is an opportunity for students to experiment with mark making to produce biro or pencil drawings within creative restrictions, such as drawing without seeing or within a set time limit. Instead of representation, students are encouraged to focus on the added restriction to test new ways of creating. When working abstractly, it can be helpful to find inspiration from alternative sources, music is a great example of this. In this workshop students will respond to popular music whilst working within these challenging restrictions. This is an exciting opportunity for students to learn and develop new skills to provide a taster into studying Fine Art at a higher level whilst gaining an introduction to potential career paths within this field.

Please note this workshop can only be delivered in-person.

How much of our life do we share? Artists, filmmakers and designers become famous for telling the world their life
stories. But why do they feel the need to do this? And why does an audience find it so captivating? This academic session is an opportunity to think critically about what autobiographical art is and what it could be. Expect students to engage in interactive activities where they can share their stories just like the artists do. Importantly, their opinions will matter, as we debate the unanswerable questions of the art world. By mirroring a university seminar and crit, this session will develop students' critical thinking skills, giving a taster for higher educational study.

This workshop takes students through a trip to Delphi. After an atmospheric description of the religious experience of the Oracle, students will be introduced to the history of the site and its significance. The workshop includes an introduction to some of the epigraphy of Delphi, comparing our literary sources with the inscriptions and practicing source analysis skills. Finally, we will debate different understandings of what the Oracle was and how we might understand its functions in ancient society. This workshop covers material in the OCR classical civilization A-level syllabus particularly Greek Religion. Students will become familiar with Delphi, including the Temple of Apollo, the Theatre, the Sacred Way, the Stadium, as well as consider the personal experience of the divine in ancient Greece. This workshop is particularly appropriate for A-level students, but no previous knowledge of the subject is required. 

In this workshop we re-enact an ancient trial, exploring the experience of ancient democracy and theories of justice on the way. Participants will take on the roles of prosecutor, defendant and jury, leaving with a good working knowledge of 5th century Athenian politics, especially its legal system. This will complement work within the OCR classical civilization and ancient history A-level and GCSE modules on Athenian democracy. This workshop is appropriate for all ages and no previous knowledge is required.  Students in Law, History, Classics, and Sociology have all found the discussion useful, and we have worked with students from KS3 to undergraduate level.

This workshop involves learning the story of Theseus of Athens, and how this myth connects with the real history of the region. Participants investigate the sources of the myth, gaining experience in source criticism and comparative literature. The workshop aims to provide some background history for potential undergraduates, and is designed for A-level students considering history, classics, literature or any humanities subject.

This session practices close reading skills within the context of place writing. Students will read extracts of literature and analyse the devices used by the author to create engaging descriptions of a place. The session has the potential to be extended through the addition of a creative writing element in which students would then use these devices themselves. Similarly, a separate creative writing session could be designed which uses the devices identified in the close reading activity from this session (please mention this on the online form if you are interested in this extension session).

This is a hands-on creative writing workshop which engages students in a piece of descriptive writing. Students will be introduced to the 'show, don't tell' technique; they will perform analysis and practice activities to familiarise themselves with the technique and its effect before using it in a piece of their own creative writing.

This interactive reading session incorporates various levels of reading skill and focus. It familiarises students with the Eco-Memoir and its defining traits before situating examples of the genre within (eco-)critical responses to it. The session aims to stimulate students’ critical engagement with texts in order to evaluate the effectiveness of texts in communicating with a readership in the midst of a climate emergency; in other words, does a text promote environmental consciousness just by virtue of being “about nature”.

In this interactive workshop, students will engage with ideas around authorship and storytelling, using the lyrics of Taylor Swift. We will focus on one Taylor Swift song (age-dependent) throughout the workshop, discussing consistent tropes and devices Swift uses in her storytelling to build up a view of her authorship and style.  

Students will benefit from the accessibility of the topic, likely already having some prior knowledge and opinion. They will gain experience in grounding analysis in context through discussion of Swift’s fame, debating to what extent she (as author) impacts the narrative of her songs. We will use feminist critique as a lens through which to view Swift’s music and frame our analysis. 

This session showcases a different side of studying English: popular music lyrics as literature. Students will leave having gained understanding of the vast scope of English Studies. 

This session is aimed for those studying The Handmaid's Tale at A-level.

In this session, students will analyse themes of pregnancy and surrogacy in The Handmaid’s Tale from a contemporary perspective, learning how we can apply current events and knowledge to speculative fiction through retroactive readings. We will discuss how pregnancy is perceived in the novel, and compare this to the current state of reproductive rights in the US, including the repeal of Roe v Wade which makes abortion illegal in some states, and the rise of celebrities using surrogacy. Students will engage in university seminar-style debate and discussion, and will learn and apply appropriate feminist theory to strengthen their arguments.

Students will be able to directly apply the knowledge and skills they gain from this session to their A-Level English Literature studies.

Only available online until December 2024

Claudia Jones was an inspirational Black woman that engaged with Communist thought and the Black freedom struggle globally. Her activism and thoughts on race, class, and gender deserve to be as well-known as that of other key male activists of the 20^th century. This session aims to introduce Jones to a younger audience, shedding light onto a key “herstory”, set against dominant histories that aim to push women like Jones aside. Overall, this session is an embrace and celebration of Jones’s ideas and cultural legacy, epitomised by the Notting Hill Carnival, a world-famous event, who’s success is largely down to Jones. Bringing together written and visual source skills, this session offers a fun and interactive chance to study a figure of global importance, and crucially, offers a more diverse area of history that students will the opportunity to study more at university.

What is learning history like at university? This interactive workshop, run like an undergraduate seminar, encourages students to consider how different perspectives on the past can affect what history is written and what history they learn.

It introduces students to the concept of historiography - the history of the history - through a combination of discussion and source work. The key objective is, quite simply, to understand how different approaches to writing history has consequences for how events are remembered.

As a case study, the workshop focuses on the trend in military history away from more traditional narratives of battles, campaigns, or tactics, towards the newer "war studies" (looking at what motivates people to fight, personal experiences, and the impact of conflict on people and a society).

By the end of the session, students will have learned why who is writing the story matters, as they look at different personal and national perspectives on the Battle of Waterloo!

This workshop will be suitable for students key stage 4/5. Live in-person or live online.

This session utilises physical objects and materials to explain the challenges faced by those on campaign with an army. This includes a practical look at clothing, accoutrements, and weaponry (if suitable) to help students understand the choices made by both governments and soldiers about operational equipment. The session also considers the experiences of those living adjacent to the army - traders, soldiers' families, and the women who found work supplying military units. Students will be asked to critically evaluate the benefits and challenges of decisions made regarding logistics at a number of levels, and how these impacted the lives of those serving in and around armies during the eighteenth century.

This workshop will be suitable for students key stage 4/5. Live in-person or live online.

Struggling to decide what to study at university?! This workshop will provide your students with a taster of studying TWO subjects at the University of Leeds, German AND History!! It can be adapted to any Key Stage and is suitable for students with no prior knowledge of German or History.   In this interactive session, students will explore the key interpretations of the period 1914-1945, which saw significant changes in German society. Beginning with the First World War, students will consider the extent of social mobilization and implications of ‘total warfare’ as citizens grappled with the effects of violence, economic blockade, and political turmoil. They will then question the duality of the Weimar period, as one of both dynamic cultural creativity and one of conflict and depression which laid the foundations for the rise of National Socialism, the Second World War, and the Holocaust. By the end of the session, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of early 20^th century German history, forming their own interpretations of events through critical engagement with primary sources.

**German Teachers - German sources can be added to this workshop for your German students if you wish to support with their reading skills**

From ‘conscious maternity’ to ‘reproductive rights’ and now ‘reproductive justice’, since the late 19th century there have been many different activist campaigns to grant greater bodily autonomy to women all over the world. Sex education, pre- and post-natal care and the right to safe abortion are just a few of the issues at stake in this fight.  

What methods have activists used throughout the last 100+ years to campaign on these issues? How have gender, race and class intersected in this struggle? What has activism looked like in different parts of the world? Do we have greater bodily autonomy now than ever before? 

In this seminar-style session you’ll have the chance to discuss these questions through group work. By the end of the session you’ll produce a visual representation of the journey that activism has taken from ‘conscious maternity’ to ‘reproductive justice’ and all the complexities in between. 

Please note this workshop can only be delivered in-person.

Struggling to decide what to study at university?! This workshop will provide your students with a taster of studying TWO subjects at the University of Leeds, German AND History!! It can be adapted to any Key Stage and is suitable for students with no prior knowledge of German or History.   In this interactive session, students will explore the key interpretations of the period 1914-1945, which saw significant changes in German society. Beginning with the First World War, students will consider the extent of social mobilization and implications of ‘total warfare’ as citizens grappled with the effects of violence, economic blockade, and political turmoil. They will then question the duality of the Weimar period, as one of both dynamic cultural creativity and one of conflict and depression which laid the foundations for the rise of National Socialism, the Second World War, and the Holocaust. By the end of the session, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of early 20^th century German history, forming their own interpretations of events through critical engagement with primary sources.

**German Teachers - German sources can be added to this workshop for your German students if you wish to support with their reading skills**

This German Intermediate session is aimed at GCSE students who have some previous experience with German who might be interested in studying German at A-Level or university. This session will encourage students to use their speaking and reading skills, introducing them to German Festivals and Folk Tales, as well as discussing opportunities for language learning at University level.

Let's get your students EXCITED about studying languages! Our beginner language taster workshops showcase some of the beginner languages taught at the University of Leeds and introduce your students to a language subject they may not have studied before. The workshops are interactive, they have been designed to spark your students' interest and we hope will encourage the uptake of languages through school, college and onto Higher Education. All sessions can be adapted to suit the age group of your students and your school timetable.

Only available until December 2024

This interactive session aims to give A-level Spanish students an insight into interpreting, as well as delving further into the Spanish Tomatina festival. Students will learn key vocabulary related to La Tomatina festival in Spain, and they try interpreting a short clip. The aim of this session is to highlight another potential career opportunity after having studied a language degree, whilst also showing the different skills that are obtained through studying interpreting. The session hopes to provide enthusiasm for language studies and shed light on the long-term outcomes and career opportunities available in the field of interpreting within Arts and Humanities.

How do languages sound? Why do we sound different from each other? How do languages vary and change?

These all are questions a linguist might ask. Find out answers to these questions and explore many more issues thanks to this Introduction to Linguistics. This session starts by defining 'what is a linguist', explains what language is and offers an enquiry into multiple areas of study in linguistics. Delivered by Linguistics academics from the School of Languages, Culture and Societies, this introduction is ideal for English Language and Languages students.

Only available until December 2024

Embark on a journey to explore the connections between diplomacy and language!

Through engaging discussions, discover how language and intercultural awareness shape international interactions, and enhance your understanding of global issues. Find out more about International Relations and Languages degrees, exciting career prospects in fields such as diplomacy, interpreting and journalism, and the benefits of learning about global affairs. Gain first-hand experience of diplomatic negotiations in a Model United Nations activity, where you will be acting as representatives of various countries to discuss the impact of the climate emergency, honing your negotiation and public speaking skills.

This workshop is suitable for all year groups. Students will be required to undertake a short research task as part of the Model United Nations activity and will need access to tablets, laptops or their phones.

Only available until December 2024

What is a ‘cult’ and what is a ‘New Religious Movement’? Where do we draw the distinction? Through investigation of cultic criteria, coercive control and charismatic leadership, this session will provide an introduction into cultic rhetoric and an attempt at demystifying the societal obsession with these groups. Unpacking seeming monolithic concepts including Margaret Singer’s ‘brainwashing’ hypothesis should hopefully provide students with the intellectual tools to not believe everything that they read, critically interrogate their patterns of thought and exercise their sound thinking.