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History & The Arts

History & The Arts

Explore culture, conflict, and the things that make us human.
Start writing fiction free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

Start writing fiction

Have you always wanted to write, but never quite had the courage to start? This free course, Start writing fiction, will give you an insight into how authors create their characters and settings. You will also be able to look at the different genres for fiction.

Free course
12 hrs
Art and life in ancient Egypt free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

Art and life in ancient Egypt

Around 1350 BC, the Egyptian grain accountant Nebamun commissioned the walls of his tomb-chapel to be painted with scenes depicting his afterlife, and the world in which he lived. Nebamun worked in the temple of Amun at Karnak during the reign of Amenhotep III (c. 1390-1352 BC). Amenhotep was one of the most important kings of the 18th Dynasty, ...

Free course
30 hrs
An introduction to music theory free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

An introduction to music theory

Gain an understanding of the basic building blocks of musical theory and notation. This free course, An introduction to music theory, will introduce you to music staves, clefs, rhythmic and pitch values, rhythmic metre and time signatures. This OpenLearn course provides an introduction to music theory pitched at a level equivalent to Grades 1–3 ...

Free course
8 hrs
Banning the bomb: a global history of activism against nuclear weapons free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

Banning the bomb: a global history of activism against nuclear weapons

In this free course you will learn about the global anti-nuclear movement that has worked for decades to prevent the use of nuclear weapons, with the ultimate aim of abolishing them altogether. You will see how opposition to nuclear weapons has been an important cause on every continent. Beginning in 1945, this course will equip you with ...

Free course
6 hrs
Quiz: Which Brontë sister wrote it? activity icon

History & The Arts

Quiz: Which Brontë sister wrote it?

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë had very different writing styles but can you tell their writing apart from the other?

Activity
10 mins
Understanding the role of art historians in a changing world video icon

History & The Arts

Understanding the role of art historians in a changing world

Over the last few decades, the discipline of Art History has been transformed in a variety of ways, drawing on broader intellectual debates, including gender, racial and social equality. But what might the future bring? Dr Samuel Shaw from The Open University speaks to experts from the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and looks at ...

Video
10 mins