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Penny Lectures have been a firm fixture in Morley’s cultural offer since 1882鈥�142 years later,  they’re enjoying something of a renaissance. 

History of Penny Lectures 

Penny Lectures were the brainchild of 少女福利 London founder Emma Cons, who wanted to encourage new thinking and ideas and provided illustrated lectures at affordable prices. 

Held at the Old Vic Theatre in Waterloo, these lectures covered fascinating topics, from the mysteries of the sea to the wonders of microscopic life, all for the price of a penny. 

Education for the community 

In line with Emma Cons’ commitment to making education accessible to all, these talks transformed into evening sessions and ultimately paved the way for the founding of Morley Memorial College for both men and women in the workforce. 

In 2024, the Penny Lectures go from strength to strength, offering a unique opportunity for a new generation of learners to indulge in exploration and discovery. 

What’s even more remarkable is that the entry fee for these revived lectures remains unchanged, adhering to the original penny price tag, honouring Cons’ legacy of making education accessible to all. 

Previous Penny Lectures听听

Penny Lecture: Neville Brody 鈥� Graphic Design Pioneer 

In this talk, Neville Brody from Brody Associates introduced his subject 鈥� graphic design, as well as enlighten the audience with stories and his knowledge of the industry from working with big brands such as Coca-Cola, BBC, Sony Music, Channel 4, Christian Dior, Mayo Clinic,听The Times, Samsung and Shiseido.听

Penny Lecture: Gemstones have an 鈥榦logy too: the Science Behind the Sparkle 

In this talk, Beth West from Gemmological Certification Services (GCS), the UK鈥檚 leading gemmological laboratory introduced her subject – gemmology, as well as captivating the audience with the many stories a gemstone can tell us; about the universe, our planet and, often, the nature of humanity itself.听听听

We’re looking forward to welcoming Beth back in 2024 – keep an eye on our听Penny Lectures page听for more.听

Penny Lecture: in conversation with James Mac MUA 

Fresh from the success of his debut exhibition MakeupXArt at  in January 2024, James Mac spoke about his career as a makeup artist as well as giving an insight into his own story, as a queer, Irish person living with Tourette鈥檚 Syndrome. 

Upcoming Penny Lectures听

The Maltreatment of the child Jane in Charlotte Bront毛鈥檚 鈥楯ane Eyre鈥� and Modern Standards of Child Safeguarding听

This talk explores parities between the maltreatment of the child Jane with modern definitions of child abuse. References for this analysis are drawn from the UK Government鈥檚 鈥楰eeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance for Schools and Colleges鈥� (2023). 

Date: 28 March 2024听

Powerful stories, improves the health of elders听

Eli Anderson dives into the feature of our Western society, that older people, are disproportionately affected by mental health, isolation, ill health, lack of support, and access to resources that may improve their lives. 

Date: 9 May 2024 

Holst at 150: re-assessing his achievement听

Gustav Holst鈥檚 best friend and fellow composer Ralph Vaughan Williams described him as 鈥渁 great composer, a great teacher, and a great friend鈥�. This shone through Holst鈥檚 time as Director of Music at Morley from 1907-1924. 

This talk will reassess Holst鈥檚 achievement throughout his career, and his lasting legacy. 

Date: 15 May 2024 

Have someone in mind for a Penny Lecture? 

For those interested in contributing please email events@morleycollege.ac.uk. 

Find the out more about Penny Lectures here. 

Stay tuned for updates and mark your calendars for upcoming lectures!