UQ Centre for Western Civilisation 2026 Winter School
Few amongst the living have braved the Underworld. Fewer still have returned from its depths. Journey with Orpheus, Odysseus, Aeneas and Dante as they traverse the lands of the dead with love, courage, reason and faith as their guides.
We invite you to join the Western Civilisation Winter School as we study the underworlds of the Odyssey, Aeneid, Georgics, and Dante’s Inferno over a two-and-a-half-day residential program. You’ll learn about the historical contexts of these works, and how these stories still influence us today.
Across a series of lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities, you will explore the lands of the dead and their ghostly and grotesque inhabitants. Working with UQ experts, you’ll come to understand the power of the human imagination through discussions around a series of classical and medieval tales of life beyond death.
Join us this winter for a unique and haunting experience of four of the greatest writings to explore the shadowy realms of the dead!
Other activities include:
- Close analysis of key passages and themes in the work of Dante, Homer, and Virgil
- A ghost tour of the Toowong Cemetery delivered by Ghost Tours Australia
- A workshop on presentation skills and performing poetry run by a professional theatre company
- A viewing of Jean Cocteau’s Orphée, a reimagining of the Orpheus myth set in 1950s Paris
Applications open 2026.
Event Details
Dates: The Winter School commences at 2pm on Monday 29 June 2026 and finishes at 2pm on Wednesday 1 July 2026.
Location: Women’s College, UQ, College Road, St Lucia QLD 4067.
Eligibility: The Winter School is open to all Year 11 and Year 12 high school students with a love of humanities. It will be particularly valuable to students studying English, Ancient History, or Study of Religion.
Cost: The Winter School is free. Accommodation and full board during the Winter School are provided. Travel subsidies are available for students travelling from over 400 km away from Brisbane.
Contact: westernciv@uq.edu.au.