Medieval Wonders: Art, Architecture, and Tales of Pilgrimage (online)

Course Programme (subject to possible change)

Each week our sessions will begin with a group discussion on a specific object with a connection to pilgrimage. 

• Week 1 - Monday 11 November 2024: The Art(works) of Pilgrimage
• Week 2 - Monday 18 November 2024: Pilgrimage and the Crusades
• Week 3 - Monday 25 November 2024: Saints and Shrines
• Week 4 - Monday 2 December 2024: England's Greatest Shrine: St Thomas Becket and Canterbury
• Week 5 - Monday 9 December 2024: Roman Holy Days I: Mediaeval Rome

•••CHRISTMAS VACATION•••

• Week 6 - Monday 13 January 2025: The Heavenly City – Jerusalem
• Week 7 - Monday 20 January 2025: Roman Holy Days II: Later Pilrgimage to Rome
• Week 8 - Monday 27 January 2025: Communities of Pilgrims
• Week 9 - Monday 3 February 2025: Pilgrimage in the Age of Romanticism
• Week 10 - Monday 10 February 2025: Pilgrimage in the Age of Romanticism

Dr Sarah James’s work is focused on medieval hagiography from c.1100-1500. Far from being timeless and aloof, saints in this period are continually being reimagined by writers in ways that perform important social, religious and political work of immediate contemporary relevance. 

To understand that work Sarah explores a range of evidence, including the written lives, documentary records, and representations of the saints in material culture. Her geographical focus is wide-ranging, including both the Latin west and more recently Byzantium; the island of Cyprus in this period is of particular significance to her work at present and is likely to remain so.

Dr Michael Paraskos is a very experienced adult education tutor, having taught for over twenty-five years. He is a Visiting Professor at York St John University and holds a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and also teaches art history to students at the City and Guilds of London Art School. Michael  has published very widely on art, as well as reviewing exhibitions and novels for BBC Radio 4’s Front Row and The Spectator magazine. His first novel In Search of Sixpence was published in 2016 and his second, called Barfrestone, was published in 2024.

We asked last year's students to give anonymous feedback and this is what they told us:*

• "My first adult ed course at Imperial, and I am highly impressed. The lectures have been tremendously interesting and well put together. Presentation by the two tutors is first-rate."
• "This is a very enjoyable and stimulating course."
• "An excellent course - enthusiastically presented by two very knowledgeable academics."

* These comments come from feedback for the course 10 Great English Cathedrals, also jointly taught by Sarah and Michael, due to this course not being offered last year.

And overall all adult education students in 2023-2024 rated our courses as excellent with a score of 4.7 out of 5.

Thank you to everyone who completed the annual survey.

Rate Categories and Discounts

Standard Rate

• Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.

Internal Rate

• Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
• People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
• Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
• Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
• Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School

Associate Rate

• Austrian Cultural Forum staff
• Co-operative College members
• Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
• Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
• Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
• Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
• Friends of the Royal College of Music
• Harrods staff
• Historic Royal Palaces staff
• Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
• Members of the Friends of Imperial College
• Members of the Kennel Club
• Members of the London Zoological Society
• Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
• Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• National Health Service (NHS) employees
• Natural History Museum staff
• Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
• Royal Geographical Society staff
• Science Museum staff
• Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
• Students (non-Imperial College)
• Teachers and other staff of UK schools
• The American Institute for Foreign Study
• Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
• Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
• Victoria and Albert Museum staff

Late enrolment

It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.

Friends and Family Scheme

This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.

Enrolment via the blue booking link is open. Early-bird discounts are available until the end of 30 September 2024

Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:

• Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
• If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.

When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:

If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Dr Michael Paraskos, m.paraskos@imperial.ac.uk 

If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk