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Please register for this course only if you are taking/have taken the first course (Part A). We are hoping to offer another series starting in April or September, so please do email the Activity Leader to express your interest in the first course.
If you want to learn about opera, whether you are familiar with the genre or just beginning to enjoy it, then this two-part course will offer you new ways of listening to opera, by exploring a wide variety of operas and their social and cultural contexts, ranging from the eighteenth century to the present day.
In this second 11-week course (Part B), we will explore some of the more general ideas around opera. In each class we will take a single work as a case study, outlining some of the general history of the composer and of the background to the opera, discussing the plot, the characters, the music, and different approaches to staging. As per the first series (Part A), classes will be supported by a PowerPoint presentation and plenty of audio and video examples of the operas, and there will be opportunities for discussion. Following each class, the presentation and video links will be sent to participants, so you will still have the information if you miss a class.
The tutor, Dr Bruno Bower (FHEA, FRSA), is a lively and enthusiastic tutor whose love of music is infectious. He is a musicologist, performer, composer, and music editor, as well as a highly experienced teacher. He currently teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Imperial College London. He is also the principal oboist of West London Sinfonia and the cor anglais player for Chelsea Opera Group.
Part B: Lectures will take place on the following Mondays (in 2026)
January: 12th, 19th, 26th
February: 2nd, 9th, (half-term break), 23rd
March: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
Tickets: The 11-week course is £220, payable in advance, and the cost includes tea/coffee and biscuits. You may purchase the Part B series using the instructions below.
This is a unique joint venture between KCWC and Imperial College, so there is a two part ticketing process:
Step #1: Please make your payment directly to Imperial College using the following link:
https://estore.imperial.ac.uk/short-courses/centre-for-languages-culture-and-communication/evening-classes-courses/arts-humanities-science-courses-2025-26?token=8bf95a613dfee9cbed8ca3e57df70236
Step #2: Please use the normal KCWC ticket purchase process in the "Tickets" section below (there is no additional charge, but we need you registered for tracking and communication purposes)
Discover the joy of sewing in a friendly and creative environment ✂️
This is to announce the starting of the sewing course after the successful trial sewing lesson. During this course comprise of 10 lessons every Friday morning you will develop your confidence and ability to fulfil different sewing techniques, and make and repair your own garments.
You will be part of a welcoming three/four person group where you’ll learn simple sewing techniques while socialising and having fun. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to refresh your skills, this is a relaxed and inspiring space to learn.
Your host and tutor, Ella, is an experienced fashion designer and sewing teacher with a strong understanding of fabrics, measurements, and garment construction. She will guide you step by step as you learn skills such as stitching, hemming, and pattern cutting, helping you create clothing, accessories, or home décor items from scratch — all while building confidence, creativity, and precision.
For any queries or to book your place, contact Event Organiser Ella Barker at stitching@kcwc.org.uk.
606 Club is one of the best places in town for brilliant music. This jazz club is very well known for the quality of musicians, always top notch. The food also is delicious, generous portions, and always freshly made.
Critically acclaimed, Anglo-American songstress Sarah Gillespie is renowned for mixing jazz, blues and folk with her trademark streetwise poetic lyrics.
Her 5 albums received outstanding reviews from the UK press and she has toured extensively for the last 15 years, performing in leading venues and festivals in Europe, the UK and USA including Blue Note (Milan) Ronnie Scott's (London) CBGB’s (NYC) and sold out shows at the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room. She's played live on BBC Radio 4’s Woman's Hour (twice), Loose Ends and Start the Week - where she was invited to discuss the role of politics in the arts. (Sarah has an MA in Philosophy and Politics).
Tonight, Sarah is showcasing brand new songs from her upcoming album with renowned composer and guitarist Chris Montague. The rest of the band features 'regulars' Tom Cawley-piano; James Maddren-drums; Conor Chaplin-bass & Emma Divine-backing vocals. In addition, Argentine–German singer-songwriter, pianist, and guitarist Chiara Dammann will open the show. Trained in classical and jazz music at Goldsmiths, University of London, her songwriting blends technical finesse with intimate, emotionally deft pop-folk sensibilities. Tonight Chaira will be debuting songs from her new project to be released on Sarah Gillespie’s label, Pastiche Records.
*Please write to event organizer Marie Puleio for booking at music1@kcwc.org.uk
Payment Info:
Music ticket = £16
Dinner = your dinner bill will be added to the ticket charge and will be paid by members on their own tab
Timing:
6:30pm Doors open
7:30pm KCWC arrival
8:00pm Music starts and Dinner is served
Join us on 21stof April at 10:30 am for Japanese Tea Tasting with Keiko Uchida, Japanese Tea Master. Try Sencha, Genmacha and Hojicha all brewed with traditional and authentic teaware. You will be guided through an authentic tea- ceremony style introduction, with each tea brewed professionally using traditional Japanese equipment. As you taste, you will discover how different teawares can subtly transform aroma and flavour, and you will have opportunity to ask the Tea Master questions throughout the experience. This is also a wonderful opportunity to try the finest premium green teas before purchase in the store.
You will discover the beauty and diversity of Japanese Tea as the Tea Master Keiko Uchida guides you through a Tasting of three of Japan’s most beloved green teas:
Keiko has been practicing the Japanese Tea Ceremony for over 25 years, and is well known for running Tea Ceremony Workshops, both at the London store and at special events around the world.
For any queries, contact Activity Leader Nur Civelek at culinaryexplorations@kcwc.org.uk
We are very excited to invite you to our Coffee Morning in March at Chelsea Arts Club.
Chelsea Arts Club is a private members' club for artists in the heart of London. Established in 1890, the Club has occupied the same house in Old Church Street since 1902. As well as painters, sculptors, designers, photographers and architects, the Club numbers film makers, poets, writers, dancers, actors and musicians amongst its Members.
The Club's parties are legendary. Mobile phones are banned. There is no dress code.
Amanda and Catarina invite you to come and meet up with other members for some great conversation, delicious drinks of your choice (your own tab) in these wonderful surroundings.
Please register your interest by booking a free ticket below, as numbers are limited.
If the tickets are sold out, please join the waitlist, and the Activity Leaders will get in touch with you should a place become available.
Looking forward to seeing you again!
Any queries, please contact the Activity Leaders Amanda Thompson and Catarina Granryd at cafesociety@kcwc.org.uk
An opportunity to play some backgammon and improve your game!
For any queries, contact the event organizer, Brenda Rosen, at backgammon@kcwc.org.uk
We’d love to give you the tools to help advertise your activities across our various platforms. Don’t miss this fantastic training opportunity!
Join us for a one-hour hands-on session on creating your own digital flyers with Canva templates. Whether you’re new to Canva or already familiar with it, this workshop will boost your confidence and creativity. Led by experienced Canva trainer and Microsoft Certified Instructor, Jenni Kravitz, you’ll learn how Canva differs from traditional software, how to work safely without losing progress, and how to design eye-catching materials to promote your activities. A future session may also explore creating engaging social media reels.
This event is only open to activity leaders!
For any queries, please contact Activity Leader Liaison, Ina Messer at activity@kcwc.org.uk
Discover the traditional Turkish Hammam Ritual that includes steam room session, exfoliation body scrub and foam massage. A key aspect of Hammam Ritual is a communal experience - you will be with friends!
Your body and skin will glow beautifully. Stress will melt away!
After, we will finish with tea, healthy snacks, fruit, etc.
Please bring appropriate clothing: crop top w/shorts or two-piece swimsuit; towel; flip flops - the Hammam therapists need access to your abdomen and back for exfoliation and massage.
For any queries contact Activity Leaders Jane Shipley and Melanie White at wellbeing@kcwc.org.uk
Come and join us in a lovely garden studio in Fulham, where the session will start with Simon showing us Qigong, an ancient movement practice that helps to regulate the nervous system, release stress and increase our wellbeing. Breathwork helps to nourish and support our nervous system to relax and be peaceful.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) teaches us that physical, emotional and mental stagnation underlies illness, so by having flow in our body we create flow in life.
We will finish with tea, healthy snacks, chat and reflection.
Please wear comfortable clothing for movement, as this will be gentle not intense.
Located in the heart of the City of London, Mansion House is the sumptuous official residence of the Lord Mayor of London. This Grade I listed building was built in the 1740s in the Palladian style by architect George Dance the Elder and is renowned for its grand architecture and historical significance. Until the mid-18th century, Lord Mayors used their own homes or livery halls for their official duties. It was after the Great Fire of London in 1666 that the idea of a permanent residence emerged to accommodate the Lord Mayors.
On our guided tour we will see the Salon, the Drawing Rooms, the Egyptian Hall, the Old Ballroom and the art collection, as well as the important silver- and gold-plated items in the vault, which are some of the finest in the world.
Mansion House is home to The Harold Samuel Collection of Dutch and Flemish 17th century paintings and also to some fine sculptures. The Collection is formed of 84 pieces and perhaps shows the best Dutch art in Britain. Paintings in the collection include works by Frans Hals and Nicolaes Maes.
NOTE: Please arrive 10 min early for a security check. Nearest tube stations are Bank/Canon Street/Mansion House
For any queries, please contact event organiser Mimi Rolbant at british1@kcwc.org.uk
Verdi and Wagner are giants in the world of opera. Their output was (one way or another) vast and deeply influential, and is essential listening for anyone who wants to know more about the genre. Yet it might also seem odd to place them side-by-side: the lyrical Italian tunesmith behind Il Trovatore and La Traviata might at first glance seem to have nothing at all in common with the densely philosophical Germanic creator of such monoliths as Der Ring des Nibelungen and Parsifal. However, their sources of influence, the times they lived through, and their deep concern over issues such as text, drama, and national identity overlap more than we might expect.
This course explores the lives of these two composers in parallel, moving from their inspirations in the early nineteenth century all the way through to the heights of their fame and to their late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century successors. Newcomers will get to know the full range of work from both, while those who already know some of these operas will have plenty to discover about their social and historical context, and may well be surprised at how much these two composers have in common in spite of their different musical styles.
This 10-week course (weekly, no class on 4 & 25 May) is suitable for people with or without previous knowledge of opera, though it makes a particularly good next step for those who have already taken the Discovering Opera course.
All classes will be supported by a PowerPoint presentation and plenty of audio and video examples of the operas, and there will opportunities for discussion around the material too, with all opinions welcome.
This classroom-taught course is offered in partnership with KCWC, but is open to everyone.
This course has a 2-step process:
1- Book and pay for the course on the Imperial College website (KCWC members use the "Associate" rate):
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/evening-classes/adult-education-courses-summer-2026/opera-in-focus-verdi-wagner/
2- Please email Eve to let her know you are on the register to be included in communications relating to this course.
For any queries, please contact Eve on opera@kcwc.org.uk
The twentieth century offers some of most fascinating and wide-ranging classical music, taking in the perky Neoclassical styles of Paris, the hazy minimalist sounds of New York, the forbidding complexity of the Darmstadt School, and everything in between. While a lot of this music is immediately likeable, some of it may sound unappealing or even nonsensical at first hearing. Either way, understanding it often requires some delving into the deep histories and ideas behind it.
This course offers a comprehensive guide to twentieth-century classical music for the complete beginner, covering many of the major themes of the century in (very) broadly chronological order. You will get to hear some of the iconic, must-hear pieces, but we will also explore some of the less well-known voices as well, making a truly diverse experience. In the process you will discover how all of this music interacts with its historical context and cultural ideas which shaped it, all of which gives the sound its meaning.
The 10-week course (weekly, no class on 1 May) is suitable for people with or without previous knowledge of classical music, though it makes a particularly good next step for those who have already taken the Discovering Classical Music course.
All classes will be supported by a PowerPoint presentation and plenty of audio and video examples of the music, and there will opportunities for discussion around the material too, with all opinions welcome.
This course has a two-step registration process:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/evening-classes/adult-education-courses-summer-2026/classical-music-twentieth-century/
2- Email Eve to let her know you are on the register to be included in communications relating to this course.
For any queries, contact Eve on opera@kcwc.org.uk
This event cost is £30.00; contact event organizer to pay.
A bold new creation by pianist-narrator Pavel Timofeyevsky and his colleagues.
Not lectures. Not concerts.
These narrated performances are an art form in themselves - where piano, voice, and story ignite to bring forgotten histories, hidden passions, and musical revolutions to life.
Pavel fuses music and narrative into living theatre, where history breathes, scandals burn, and forgotten voices sing again. These aren't "talks with music."
They are musical stories come alive - dazzling, intimate, unforgettable.
"Her Music, Their Name" (Second in a 5-part Series titled "How Women Changed the Music World)
They wrote. Men took the credit. Now the piano shouts their truth and the voice sings their stolen songs --
Fanny Mendelssohn, Alma Mahler, Florence Price. Forgotten no more.
*Please note that since this is an event sponsored by Notable: there is a 2-step process for signing up for the event and then paying for the ticket:
1) Use the normal KCWC process for signing up for a "free" ticket on this website.
Once you have registered in that way . . .
2) email the KCWC event coordinator at opera1@kcwc.org.uk and Alya will send you the link and discount code needed to purchase your actual ticket for £30
Note: if you are interested in bringing a guest, you are free to purchase their ticket at the regular Notable price once on their ticketing website.
For any queries, please contact the event coordinator, Alya Samokhvalova at opera1@kcwc.org.uk
Celebrate St George's Day with a tasting dedicated to the best of English cheesemaking! Join us on Friday 24th April at 7pm for our Virtual Cheese Tasting with the artisan cheeses and crackers from Paxton & Whitfield's delivered to your door for the perfect night in!
You'll taste four outstanding English cheeses and P&W's signature crackers -- from traditional territorials to innovative new creations that showcase the diversity of England's homegrown cheesemakers. Guided by James Rutter, Paxton & Whitfield's Managing Director, the relaxed and informative tasting is the perfect way to honour England's proud cheesemaking heritage while discovering a few modern favorites along the way.
Paxton & Whitfield is one of the oldest cheese mongers of London dating back to 1742, a Royal Warrant Owner since 1850.
Cost is £45 per ticket including delivery of cheeses and crackers to your door. Please book a "ticket" here to indicate your interest, and the Activity Leader will contact you with payment instructions.
Join Floriana as she shows us how to prepare a selection of dishes typical of the region of Sicily.
Participants will taste all the food prepared and receive a copy of the recipes.
Please bring your own wine if you wish to consume any.
Do inform us of any food allergies, intolerances or other dietary requirements well in advance and we will do our best to accommodate your dietary needs.
For any queries, please contact the organisers on foodies@kcwc.org.uk
Please join us for a session of unrehearsed reading/acting of the play "The Mousetrap" by Agatha Christie.
No prior acting experience is required, it is not about putting on a perfect play, but about spontaneous fun! If you don't want to act, you can simply read.
For this event, please buy a copy of “The Mousetrap” and bring it with you. There are various copies available second hand (google search). Alternatively you can buy a Samuel French Theatre Edition of the play for £ 10.99 from Waterstones (check availability online from their website) or other bookshops.
If you register as anonymous, you must please inform the activity leader of your name and contact details in order to be included.
For any queries, please contact event organiser Judith Neuling drama@kcwc.org.uk
Join Helen from Cook'd London as she guides us through a selection of light ,easy, seasonal recipes including:
Gazpacho, Toasted Croutons + basil Oil
Pickled Watermelon + Feta Salad
Apricot + Chipotle Glazed Chicken Shawarma
Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Mint, Fennel + Olives
Elderflower + Lemon Pavlova
Plus lots of tips and goodies to share. As well as watching the cookery demo, participants will sample everything and take home copies of all recipes.
Reserve your place by booking a ticket. The organisers will contact you with payment procedure. Cost is £55.00.
Please inform the organisers of any food allergies, intolerances or other than other dietary restrictions well in advance to enable us to accommodate your needs by emailing foodies@kcwc.org.uk
Parham is an absolute gem of an Elizabethan House inhabited by the family that has owned it for generations. They are intimately involved with the preservation and upkeep of house and garden.
We will discover the beautiful, traditional gardens at their peak including a walled garden with its famous Wendy House, a rose garden, a stone maze, a vegetable and herb garden and romantic wide herbaceous borders with their tapestry of colours. The park predates the house, before the advent of landscape gardens.
There will be time to tour and experience the wow effect of this immaculate house and have a bite for lunch in the cafeteria.
Afterwards we will proceed by taxi to the beautiful, picture book village of Amberley where we can have a cream tea (optional) at 12th Century Amberley Castle, which now houses a luxury hotel with beautiful grounds. From here it is short walk back to Amberley Station for our return trip to London.
Ticket/Price Info:
For queries, please contact the Event Organiser Judith Neuling at gloriousgardens@kcwc.org.uk
If you register anonymously, you must then contact the event organizer with your contact information in order to receive up to date additional information.
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