Black Mountains College

One of the stalls at the Festival this year was taken by Black Mountains College.
This is a group that is trying to start up a new college of further education locally, and they've now got to the stage where they can offer summer courses.
The residential courses will be held at Coleg Trefeca, and they are designed to help the participants to consider and prepare for climate change (this is from the blurb on the leaflet I picked up), "from scientific information to rural skills and artistic experiences".
So the courses are on:
the science of global warming, including a riverbank walk with an ecologist to look at soil carbon
A Short History of the Universe: from the Big Bang to the Anthropocene, with walks including archaeology and astronomy led by astronomer/archaeologist John Swann. He also has a very large telescope that students will be using as part of the course.
Good Food for Everyone Forever is led by Colin Tudge, a well known name in science writing, particularly on food and agriculture.
Dry Stone Walling and Writing is led by Whitney Brown, stone waller and folklorist, and local writer Owen Sheers, who is one of the people behind the original idea of the Black Mountains College. This is a very practical, hands-on course.
Then there's The Future of Bread, in which time will be spent milling flour and baking bread at Melin Talgarth Mill (who also do really good courses on bread making).
The Skeletons of the Land is based on the local geology, and students will also be making art.
And there's a Bronze Casting Workshop - this is the most expensive course, at £995, but you do end up with your own bronze sculpture, made over five days.