Cultural Resources

Welcome to the Cultural Resources Section

British philosopher James Allen espoused that a persons mind is like a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild.  If no useful seeds are put into it, then useless things will grow.  It must surely be incumbent on us all to develop our minds and skills.  We all have potential; nothing is fatalistic.  Like a journey upon the ocean: we cannot see our destination point, but we have a measure of trust that there will be an end point, so long as we set our course and keep on going.  To keep moving.  To keep evolving.

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Appreciation and understanding are, in my humble opinion, the results of both practical experimentation and acquired learning.  Whilst the rest of the website largely focuses on experiments, and my experiences of them, this page lays out the formal and informal courses that I have undertaken in recent years (I was amazed at the sheer number when itemised!).  The internet has, in this capacity, been a wonderful enabler, as it’s possible to gain access to more learning platforms than ever before.  I can say without hesitation, that I have achieved something from all my educational forays.  The courses I lay out below range from free, moderately priced, and to some that require a greater investment in cost and time.  So feel free to explore; I hope you have as much enjoyment from these pedagogic instruments as I have….

Art / Art History

How to Look at and Understand Great Art (The Great Courses) 

Great Artists of the Italian Renaissance (The Great Courses)

Learning to Look at the Visual Arts (Oxford University)

Introduction to the Baroque (Exeter University)

Post Graduate Certificate in Art History (Birkbeck College / University of London)

Writing for the Art World: Style & Substance (Sotherbys Institute of Art)

Making Sense of Ideas on Art: A Beginner’s Course in Art Theory (The Courtauld)

Certificate in the History of Art (Oxford University) – Commencing Autumn 2022!

Literature

Dante’s Divine Comedy (The Great Courses)

Ethics of Aristotle (The Great Courses)

Iliad of Homer (The Great Courses)

Lives and Works of the English Romantic Poets (The Great Courses)

Philosophy in Literature (Oxford University)

Augustine: Philosopher and Saint (The Great Courses)

Masterpieces of Ancient Greek Literature (The Great Courses)

From Devilry to Divinity: Readings in Dante’s Divina Commedia (The Warburg Institute)

Dante: A Man for All Seasons (The Italian Institute)

Academic Skills

Becoming a Great Essayist (The Great Courses)

An Introduction to Formal Logic (The Great Courses)

Critical Reading (Oxford University)

Learning to Focus (LifeHack Academy)

Critical Reasoning: Romping Through the Foothills of Logic (Oxford University)

Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Speaking (Harvard University)

Understanding Researching Methods (Coursera / University of London)

Liberal Arts Training (The Traditional Tutor)

Speed Reading (7 Speed Reading)

LifeStyle

Dining Etiquette (Emma DuPont School of Etiquette)

Vedic Meditation (Beeja Meditation)

Level 2 in Wine & Sprits (WSET)

Private Chess Coaching (Chess Coach London)

How to Play Chess: Lessons from an International Master (The Great Courses)

Starting Your Own Blog (A Lady in London)

WordPress Introduction Training (WordPress Courses London)

Music & Opera

Certificate in Opera Appreciation (Divas & Scholars)

How to Listen to and Understand Great Classical Music (The Great Courses)

**These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by The Cultural Aficionado of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual.  The Cultural Aficionado bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links.  Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.**