The Arts Society Tours with Fred. Olsen

John has a relaxed distinctive lecturing style that successfully employs humour and innovation to encourage learning and dialogue with his audiences. John Francis is an experienced University Lecturer, consultant, researcher and visual artist. He grew up on Merseyside and was educated in Fine Arts and pedagogy in the UK and New York.  

After receiving the Max Beckmann scholarship in painting at the Brooklyn Museum, John moved to Nantucket Island, Massachusetts working as a painter and ivory engraver. After exhibiting at the Main Street Gallery on Nantucket, John was drawn to the more traditional image of America, i.e. Texas. In Austin, Texas John worked on the Artists in Schools programme as Artist in Resident in San Antonio, Abilene and Waco.

Several years later John relocated to London and worked in the Education department of HM Prison Holloway. Developing an interest in Film and Video John studied for his Masters at the prestigious Central St. Martins School of Art, London. At that time John was commissioned to produce several corporate and art videos. He was appointed as a Lecture in Visual art and Media at Kingsway College, London. The British Council awarded John a research award to review the film and animation industry of Czechoslovakia. During several visits to the Eastern European communist and post-communist country, John was able to closely observe the great Czech and Slovak traditions of animation and film making. The American Fulbright Commission for Education awarded John a one year visiting exchange ‘Professor’ post at Southwestern College, California. During that year John was a member of the Border Art Workshop who in the previous year had represented America in the Venice Biennale. In San Diego, John was commission to produce a video on border culture for the ‘white washed’ Exhibition in the El Centro Museum, San Diego. The video was a critically success and reviewed in the Los Angeles Times. Recently, John was invited by ADFAS (Australian Decorative Fine Arts Society) to Lecture on the ‘Cook Lecture tour curcuit’ from Melbourne to Queensland. John was accredited as a Lecturer by the Arts Society (UK) in November 2017.

Barbara grew up in Eton with Windsor Castle as part of her daily view. She is a historian, a lecturer for the Arts Society and an acknowledged expert on Royalty and royal palaces.

Born in France, where she studied art history before moving to Copenhagen.  In Denmark, she focused on research work and completed a PhD on the relations between art and religion in contemporary Scandinavian art.

After graduating in 2013, Caroline moved to London and started teaching art history for several education providers. I have since developed a range of courses and lectures focusing on 19^th & 20^th century Western art.

Dr Geri Parlby is rather idiosyncratic art historian who studies history through art rather than the history of art. Having spent her early career in journalism and PR she went on to study for a Masters in Byzantine Art at the Courtauld Institute followed by Theology PhD.  She is currently a honorary research fellow at the University of Roehampton. She has a particular fascination for religious art and deciphering what clues ‘holy images’ might be offering us as to the politics of religion. One week she is researching prehistoric goddess images from central Europe the next she is clambering into underground catacombs in Rome to investigate early Christian art.  From Rome it is on to Ravenna to unpick the mosaic imagery of the early Byzantine empire and then across to Russia to decipher the mysterious symbolism of Icon art. When she is not decoding art, she is a regular lecturer for the Arts Society both in the UK and internationally.

From 1982 to 1993 I owned a wine shop in Maidenhead known as David Alexander Wine Merchants. We were a creative outlet and specialised in wines from around the world and also an international range of beers (speciality Belgian beers) and malt Whisky. In 1987 we were recognised by Decanter Magazine and named ‘Most Promising Newcomer’ in the Wine Merchant of the Year award.

From 1993 to 2005 I was a salesman then director of Siegel Wine Agencies, a company founded in 1895 and a specialist in fine Rieslings among other things. It was here that I created a brand called The Naked Grape that enjoyed several years success in Waitrose and various independent wine merchants.
In that time Siegel was bought and became Awin Barratt Siegel (ABS) Wine agencies named Wine Importer of the Year five times between 2007 and 2015 by the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

I left ABS in September 2016 after 25 years, as it seemed the time was right to take on a new challenge. I joined an old colleague James Fleetwood in his company Delibo Wine Agencies, importers and agents for a number of producers around the world.

I have been importing and distributing wines for over twenty-five years, prior to which I owned and ran an independent wine merchant, David Alexander Wines, which still trades today. I still import wines from around the world and have customers across the breadth of the UK. I consider wine an essential ingredient to a contented life, a role it has played for thousands of years.
In addition to A Brief Story of Wine, I am available for tutored tastings in many shapes and forms.

In 2019 I became an accredited lecturer for the Arts Society.

Eileen is an experienced lecturer and published author with  an MA in Egyptology she has specialist knowledge of the ancient civilisations which bordered the Mediterranean, including Egypt, Greece and Rome, and has also studied extensively the history of the Caribbean with special reference to piracy, and the history of neighbouring Mexico with its Olmec, Inca and Mayan civilisations. She also has a keen interest in the Myths & Legends of the Ancient World. She has been a regular guest speaker for seven years on all her subjects on cruise ships and for three years with The Arts Society.