Residential Modules UK

On this page you’ll find the practical details of our residential modules but if after reading both pages you had any further questions, please do get in touch via the contacts at the bottom of the page. You can also subscribe to our regular newsletter via the button on this page. All upcoming events, courses and activities can be found on our Events pages.

Our Methods

At present our education programme is based upon a modular approach: we take two subjects for exploration per year – one for the autumn, and one for the spring. Each module has an introductory reading (sometimes a dialogue or text from the writings of the great Platonists, sometimes a modern textbook, and sometimes a specially written paper). 

We then have three weekend seminars – the first is used as an initial exploration with particular emphasis on setting up a framework or
overview from which the subject can be expanded.  The second weekend, usually around 5 to 6 weeks after the first, is the most intensive weekend – we expect our students to have spent some time at home studying and contemplating the subject for consideration and the bulk of the weekend is spent in group discussions.  The third weekend is largely given over to student presentations which act as prompts to further group study.  Each weekend, in addition to study sessions, has a period for formal (but relatively short) meditations and devotions, without which philosophy tends towards a merely two-dimensional rationalism rather than a profound and spiritual discipline.  We also leave plenty of time for informal activities during which we find that conversations often transform seemingly small observations or questions into significant insights and moments of understanding. 

Our tutors are always happy to keep up correspondence with
our students during and after a module should further ideas or questions arise, using our space on Slack.

Each module, as far as is possible, is self-contained allowing potential students to join us at the start of any module.  Of course, as the modules are studied and built upon so the students’ appreciation of the subtleties of philosophy grows: we occasionally run separate study groups during our weekends allowing students of differing experience to work at an appropriate speed. 

Commitment 

The modules we run are our best attempt at maintaining a continuous cycle of study and contemplation on what are, by their very nature, profound subjects.  This does mean that attendance at all three weekends is important – to miss one weekend, especially the first or second, will mean that the student will struggle to catch up on the areas missed.  We realise that life is never as simple or as predictable as one would like, but we do ask within reasonable limits that the commitment to a module is seen as one to attend all three weekends, as well as to home study between them.  You should also note that our weekends start at 6.45 pm on Friday evenings and end at around 2 pm on Sunday afternoons – we try to make full use of the  hours available to us and again wherever possible we ask our students to ensure that they arrive by the scheduled start time. 

Finances 

Our venue is a retreat house in Purley Chase, Warwickshire: charges for a weekend are £182 inclusive of all costs (accommodation is nominally shared bedrooms, but it is almost certain that in practice nobody will be asked to share) or £208 for single ensuite rooms: this represents only what the Trust pays the retreat house for your accommodation and meals. Payment is due 3 weeks before the weekend – payment plans and bursaries are available (please see below for more information).  Please note, the prices have gone up slightly for this coming year – this is due to the costs of our venue increasing. 

The Trust comes from a tradition that does not see wisdom as something to be bought and sold, nor as a possession nor a professional qualification, and our programme is run on a cost basis.  The charges payable are set to cover accommodation and food, but we do not pass on our costs to run the weekend and our tutors do not charge for their work.  Our charges are, therefore, significantly below what is normally charged for similar weekends.  Where students may struggle to pay even these charges, we always try and ensure that this is not a barrier to participation, and should you find yourself in such a position, you should have no hesitation in asking to use a payment plan or a bursary.

The Trust has a seminar support fund for bursaries and if you are not able to afford the full cost, please contribute what you think is appropriate and the remainder will be supported by this fund. Please consider carefully what you’re able to contribute towards the cost of your place – The Prometheus Trust is a small volunteer-run charity with limited resources.

Bursaries are only available on non ensuite accommodation (unless ensuite accommodation is needed because of a medical condition or disability).

Where students are in a position to make donations over and above the set fees, we do ask that this is given serious consideration.  The Trust works hard to ensure that all donations received are put to the best possible use, and that monies put into the hands of the Trust are placed in the direct service of philosophy.  The Trust is a registered charity (registration number 299648) and any gifts made to it by UK taxpayers enable the charity to reclaim tax paid. 

Cancellations: fees cannot be refunded on late cancellations. 

Copies of papers for each module are free to enrolled students; students may have to purchase books (which if supplied by the Trust, attract a generous discount). We have a range of paperback editions especially written and curated for students of the tradition.

Venue and schedule

We use the Purley Chase Centre for all our weekend seminars:
it is the headquarters of the Swedenborgian Church, and is situated in the countryside near Mancetter, Warwickshire. Purley Chase Centre is a lovely building, comfortably appointed, and consists of an older building in which the (nominally) shared accommodation is situated, and a large newer extension in which the dining room and the majority of the ensuite rooms are situated. There is a well-stocked card-only bar which is opened (on request) on Saturday evening; adjoining the bar is a conservatory. The grounds, where you can walk or just sit, are beautiful.

Residency Sample Schedule

Upcoming module

The dates for the next few years for the modules are below:

Winter/Spring 2026

16-18 January 2026
27 February-1 March 2026
10-12 April 2026

Autumn 2026

11-13 September 2026
16-18 October 2026
4-6 December 2026

Winter/Spring 2027

15-17 January 2027
26-28 February 2027
9-11 April 2027

Autumn 2027

17-19 September 2027
22-24 October 2027
3-5 December 2027

Winter/Spring 2028

14-16 January 2028
25-27 February 2028
7-9 April 2028

Autumn 2028

15-17 September 2028
20-22 October 2028
1-3 December 2028

Other upcoming events are also listed below/to the side, but for our full programme, please check out our Event pages.