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Linda Swinfield. Tutor of WEA Sydney

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Established in 1913, we are a voluntary, independent, not-for-profit adult education provider offering opportunities to join a community of keen learners. We offer a range of courses across the Humanities, Languages, Arts and Leisure and Wellness activities. We are based in the Sydney CBD with easy access to a variety of public transport options.

Our mission is to provide adults with stimulating and varied educational activities which develop their knowledge, understanding and skills. Within our program we place special emphasis on providing opportunities for the serious and objective study of the arts, humanities and sciences. We are committed to:

• Maintaining excellence in all aspects of our work
• Encouraging students to participate in their own education and in WEA's democratic management structure
• Facilitating access for all who seek to take part in our activities

We believe that WEA activities are of value both to individuals both in their personal life and in their role as citizens in a democratic society.

For more information, visit our What is WEA Sydney? page.

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Sydney Bridge Centre is the home of Sydney Bridge Club, one of Sydney’s largest and oldest Bridge clubs. We are centrally located, friendly and welcome all visitors. Our main venue and office are on Level 1, 162 Goulburn Street, Sydney 2010. We also run regular sessions in Polish Club Ashfield and Henley. We offer a variety of bridge activities to suit players of different levels and aspirations, including recreational daily games, beginners courses, workshops, special events and competitive congresses.

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Sydney City Good Church. Tutor of WEA Sydney

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Erica grew up in Uddevalla, Sweden, but has lived in Sydney since 2017. She is passionate about language education and has several years of experience teaching Swedish to both adults and teenagers. Erica holds a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in linguistics, from The University of Sydney, and has completed additional courses in Swedish and SSL (Swedish as a second language). Erica is also a qualified ELICOS teacher and works part-time at an English language school.

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Magdalena Tausch has a Bachelor of Arts & Diploma in Graphic Design and Photography and is a passionate educator, storyteller, and creative professional who brings history to life in engaging and unexpected ways. With a background spanning archaeology, art history, design, photography, and museum education, her teaching sits at the intersection of academic insight and creative exploration. Having lived, studied, and worked in Germany, she is fluent in German and enjoys weaving cultural and linguistic insights into her courses, offering students a richer and more immersive perspective.

Her courses invite students to step into the worlds of prehistoric communities, early Christians, and ancient societies - exploring how people lived, believed, and expressed themselves across time. Whether discussing cave art, ritual practices, or daily life in antiquity, she focuses on the human stories behind the evidence. Alongside teaching, Magdalena works as a graphic designer, photographer, and business consultant, and enjoys helping others develop both creative confidence and practical skills. She is passionate about creating inclusive, discussion-based learning environments that spark curiosity, conversation, and new ways of seeing the world.

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Michael Taylor (LLM, DPhil) is new to the WEA but has extensive teaching experience over a long career. He began over thirty years ago as a College Lecturer in Moral and Political Philosophy at Lincoln College, Oxford, and has since been actively engaged in teaching and lecturing at many leading universities around the world. Although his professional career mainly involved work in economics and economic policy, Michael has always retained his passion for philosophy, and has published several well received books on the nineteenth century thinker Herbert Spencer. He believes that philosophy helps us think more clearly about the problems of everyday life and the great questions that now confront us as a species.  Michael’s classes aim to be interactive, with all the members of the class engaged in a a voyage of discovery.

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Maria Teixeira-Alves studied Germanic Philology at Porto University in Portugal before coming to Australia where she graduated from the University of Sydney with a major in Linguistics and then undertook post-graduate studies in Vocational Education and Training and Public Relations at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Maria has led a career in the development and implementation of policies, training programs and resources in the NSW Department of Education and Training for 23 years. She also taught Portuguese to speakers of other languages in the Cambridge Institute in Porto and reading and writing to adults in the Portuguese Association in Sydney. Maria is a native speaker of Portuguese and has also studied French and Italian at the University of Sydney.

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Pernilla Thakur-Lundqvist holds a BA in Social and Economic Geography and an Advanced Certificate in Language Teaching. She has been working as a teacher since 2014 and previously served as Headteacher at the Swedish School in Sydney for 3.5 years, following more than a decade of involvement with the school. During her leadership tenure, she also initiated and strengthened a regional network for Swedish schools across APAC and Oceania, fostering collaboration and long-term strategic development. Alongside her educational background, she brings experience in sales and marketing, contributing strategic insight and strong communication skills to her teaching practice. Pernilla is a driven and dedicated educator who designs interactive, engaging lessons using varied methods to optimise language acquisition and long-term retention. She believes that anyone can learn - the key lies in discovering how each individual learns best.

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The Deaf Society of NSW. Tutor of WEA Sydney