Come and join a Zoom discussion group of film lovers. Participants will each select a contemporary film available on Netflix that they wish to introduce to the group. Two films are discussed at each workshop. Participants are expected to have viewed the two films recently in advance of the workshop to ensure lively and congenial…
New this year!Thornton Wilder regarded theatre as "the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." Join us as we explore selected classic plays from the 19th and 20th centuries. We will read aloud…
This workshop aims to touch the entire world of opera: from its early beginnings in the 16th C. to the modern day. We will learn about and listen to the music of the historic opera repertoire, the most beautiful music in the world, and view exciting performances on stage by the most enthralling voices. There…
This group will meet to extract the wit and wisdom in politics, business, finance, culture, literature and science from this influential international journal. Subscription copies can be delivered by mail (phone 1-800-456-6086) or electronically (economist@neodata.com). At each session, the group selects about eight articles and the discussion is begun by the proposer of each article…
Nobel Prizes for Science and Medicine have been awarded since 1901. In this workshop, participants will explore the winners in the four categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and the additional Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences (in Memory of Alfred Nobel). Participants will investigate what the winners discovered and what the impact of the…
New this year!Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Sullivan, Alan Alda, Bea Arthur, Carroll O’Connor, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Sammy Davis Jr. These are just some of the legendary performers who defined the golden age of entertainment. These stars from the world of TV, film and…
Songs are a vital part of our lives. First, participants will give presentations on their choice of performers (e.g., Tiny Tim, the Beatles, Mel Torme), composers (e.g., Cole Porter, Jim Webb, Lennon & McCartney), historical period or favourite songs. Second, we can choose to sing the songs we discuss acapella or with accompaniment. Just listening is welcome…
Devoted film buffs want to share their love of fine films by viewing them together and having great discussions about them. This in-person workshop is designed for just that. The 12 films will be chosen by Workshop members and the Co-facilitators. The films will be drawn from the list of 100 Best Films as ranked…
At the start of each session the participants suggest topics from the recent newsworthy of further discussion. The discussion of each topic starts with a brief introduction by the person suggesting the topic followed by a general discussion. Facilitators Joan Bartel has lived in four countries, ending up happily in Canada. She enjoyed a long…
Can democracy be saved? Join us for a wide-ranging discussion about democracies; how they flourish and how they fail. How do democracies become dictatorships and how do dictatorships become democracies? What is populism and when did it start? Can a single, strong leader have a significant impact on the course of a country? Each participant…
New this year!This workshop explores what makes companies tick. How should success be defined? Are there behaviours, conditions or opportunities that tend to generate winners? Focus will be placed on specific corporations and leaders. Corporations: Corporations today control budgets larger than the GDP of many countries. Some relative newcomers have succeeded masterfully, like Microsoft and…
Memoir, unlike autobiography, is the art of reminiscing about particular events, people and/or time periods in our lives and is becoming increasingly popular. As in previous years, participants will present extracts from their own writing. Ideas/prompts are offered to stimulate writing in class and provide a source for longer pieces. Time will be given to…