Information about next year's courses available November 2010
Archive (courses July 2010)
Photos by James Kellie
About Bloomsbury Summer School...
Since 1995, BSS has aimed to present the finest programme of summer courses on the history and archaeology of Ancient Egypt and the Near East available in the United Kingdom. In July 2010 we offered eight intensive summer courses on Ancient Egypt and Cyprus, designed specially for enthusiastic adults, sixth-formers perhaps considering further study in this subject area, and students wishing to broaden their studies.
Letter from the Deputy Director
I am delighted that Christopher Coleman asked me to run BSS again this year. BSS offers an unrivalled programme of superb one-week courses taught by experts, and I’m proud to be associated with it.
For those of you new to BSS, let me tell you a little bit about us:
- We offer 8 week-long courses in July at one of the U.K.’s most prestigious universities, UCL, in the heart of Bloomsbury, in central London.
- Although rooted in academia, we are informal and accessible to all-comers.
- Our courses on ancient Egypt and the Near East are taught by experts from museums and universities around the country.
- Although excellent lecturers and distinguished academics, they are also friendly and approachable, happy to socialise at BSS social events.
- Each course has 19 teaching sessions: mostly lectures, but also special-access museum visits, and practical work.
- BSS offers much more than well-taught courses in a range of exciting subjects, we also offer a stimulating social life to those who join us. These combine to create a rich learning experience, you will be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.
- You will go home after a week with us, not only inspired by a wealth of new material and ideas, but having made a host of new friends.
Here at BSS, we appreciate how privileged we are to have such special access to UCL’s stunning collections of antiquities (most notably the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology). We are able to extend this access to BSS students in a way that no one else can. If you have never handled an object from pharaonic Egypt, you don’t know what you’re missing – it's a rare and special experience.
Our central London location also means that we can incorporate teaching sessions where relevant in the British Museum.
You will find information about our 2011 courses here on our website in November.
Best regards
LUCIA GAHLIN
Programme and facilities
BSS courses offer the following, unique, combination of features:
- Expert tuition provided by university lecturers and museum staff.
- Classes in the Petrie Museum, British Museum and Egypt Exploration Society (where relevant).
- Refreshments and excellent facilities.
- Social events designed to enrich the BSS experience. These include a buffet welcome lunch in UCL’s Department of History, an evening reception with wine and soft drinks in the Petrie Museum or Institute of Archaeology, and an end-of-course party.
- Accommodation (if required) in inexpensive Halls of Residence located close to BSS.
2010 Summer School programme information
Location
BSS is ideally located in the heart of Bloomsbury, within walking distance of many of London ’s best-known museums and galleries, and the theatres and cinemas of the West End.
Finding us
BSS is easily reached by public transport. It is within walking distance of three mainline stations (Euston, St. Pancras and King’s Cross), and of several underground stations. There is however, no free parking nearby, or car park in UCL. Contact BSS for advice on transport or parking.
Accommodation
Visitors to BSS who wish to book accommodation in Bloomsbury are expected to make their own arrangements. To help them do so, BSS has produced a guide to accommodation. This provides details of three Halls of Residence: Passfield Hall, which overlooks Gordon Square Gardens; Connaught Hall, which overlooks the gardens of Tavistock Square; and College Hall, which stands between the Vanbrugh Theatre and Waterstone’s Bookshop. All three are located within five minutes walk of UCL and hold a provisional block booking for BSS students. The guide also provides suggestions for hotel accommodation, small ones in Cartwright Gardens, large ones in a variety of locations, and all within easy walking distance of the college.
Catering
Teas, coffee and cold drinks are available in the BSS common room, virtually all day, every day, as well as a buffet lunch on the Monday. You can also make use of the inexpensive catering facilities on the UCL site. These serve everything from breakfast to sandwiches and hot meals through till the early evening. Alternatively, you may take your lunch al fresco in Gordon Square Gardens or enjoy a range of local pubs, cafés and restaurants recommended on the first day of the course.
