University of Cape Town Summer School Programs

The University of Cape Town offers a variety of summer school programs, including courses in Literature, Art, Music, Current Affairs, History, Philosophy, Politics, Economics, Medicine, Science, Conservation and Nature, Information Technology, and Practical Courses.

Summer School 2026

The Summer School 2026 program includes special lectures, tours, excursions, and workshops. Some of the courses offered include:

• Action and reaction: how Western art evolved
• Adapting Jane Austen
• Art Deco: Spirit and Splendour
• Celebrating the best of Opera UCT
• Copy editing and proofreading: what's the difference. Who performs them?
• Glowfly Dance: Literature as changemaker
• In conversation: Parcel baby: aliases, apartheid and neurosurgery
• In conversation: Writing the family
• Irma Stern: finding her voice
• Jazz legends and their music
• Light, space and time: Physics in art
• Local inspiration: one writer on the Southern Peninsula
• Maria Callas: Prima Donna
• Music and the sensuality of harmony
• Music and the sensuality of harmony (lecture-recital)
• Northern Lights
• Oral historian or vulture? Documenting South African jazz legends after they've left us
• Seeing sound, hearing colour: Synaesthesia and the musical mind
• Sienna: Walls of Gold
• The Baroque: the age of kings
• The Italian Renaissance: the dawn of modern times
• The Medici Women
• The influence of the Medieval period on Shakespeare's plays
• To life, with love
• Writers bear witness: South African English literature 1948 to 1976
• Writers bear witness: South African English literature before 1948
• Writers bear witness: 'do angels wear brassières?' The child in post-colonial literature
• 'What to do with noodle?': humour in the Victorian novel

Art Deco: Spirit and Splendour

This course explores the origins, evolution, and enduring worldwide influence of Art Deco as the major design movement of the twentieth and now also the twenty-first century.

• The transition from Art Nouveau to Art Deco is illustrated.
• The central period of its development from 1910 to 1939 is focused on.
• The 1925 Paris exhibition – the centenary of which was celebrated in 2025 – stimulated the influence of the style worldwide.
• Major contributors to the style, such as Josef Hoffmann, Robert Mallet-Stevens, Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, René Lalique, Edgar Brandt, Demétre Chiparus, and Louis-Francois Cartier, are introduced.
• The contributions to the style of personalities such as Josephine Baker, Chanel, Erik Satie, Sergei Diaghilev, and others are discussed.
• The influences of artistic movements such as Cubism, De Stijl, Surrealism, Fauvism, and Constructivism are explored.

Course Details

• Lecture titles:
  1. Origins of the style and the international impact of the 1925 Paris exhibition
  2. Architecture, artefacts, ephemera, and all that jazz …
  3. 'Forgotten' Antwerp 1930, 'sailing down to Rio' and other excursions
• Recommended reading:
  • Benton, C, Benton, T, and Wood, G. 2003. Art Deco: 1910–1939. United Kingdom: V&A Publications.
  • Duncan, A. 2009. Art Deco Complete: The Definitive Guide to the Decorative Arts of the 1920s and 1930s. United Kingdom: Thames & Hudson.
  • Hiller, B. 1971. The World of Art Deco. United Kingdom: Studio Vista.
• Instructor: Kenneth McGillivray, author, artist, and text editor.
• Course schedule: Monday 26–Wednesday 28 January, 3.00 pm.
• Course fees: R345; Staff and students R173.

University of Cape Town: A Summary

---

Overview:

The University of Cape Town (UCT) is a globally recognized university located in South Africa. It is committed to unleashing human potential to create a fair and just society, with a focus on transformation, sustainability, and excellence. UCT is known for its strong academic programs, research initiatives, and commitment to social responsibility.

---

Services Offered:

---

Student Life and Campus Experience:

The provided context does not offer specific details about student life and campus experiences at UCT. However, it highlights the university's commitment to creating a supportive environment for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

---

Key Reasons to Study There:

International Recognition:

UCT graduates hold qualifications that are recognized globally.

Social Justice Focus:

The university emphasizes values of engaged citizenship and social justice.

Research Excellence:

UCT is a leading research institution in Africa, contributing to new knowledge and addressing global challenges.

Sustainable Development Goals:

UCT is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and plays a critical role in addressing global challenges through research.

Transformative Initiatives:

UCT is actively involved in initiatives like the African Paediatric Fellowship Programme and the 100UP programme, which aim to address critical issues in healthcare and education access.

---

Academic Programs:

The context mentions the university's commitment to generating new knowledge in, for, and from Africa. It also highlights specific research achievements, such as identifying a new heart-attack gene and a landmark restitution of human remains. However, it does not provide a detailed list of academic programs offered at UCT.

---

Other:

UCT is ranked among the top 1.3% of universities worldwide by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). The university is actively involved in various initiatives to address global challenges, including climate change and healthcare access.