PEOPLE's Workshop
Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle
Happy 1st Century!
Between April and June 2015, we worked with 11 classes at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle's primary school in London to create an exhibition around the celebration of its first centenary.
11 different workshops elaborated with the help of the teachers delivered to 308 students in two sessions,
exploring various aspects of the school environment through the gaze of architecture, history, poetry and portraiture.
Each of the 11 class produced a visual outcome to form a collective exhibition that summarized the identity of their school with the help of mediums such as graphic design, photography, performance, model making, drawing and collage making.
On top of the children’s production, we designed
two sets of banners, which symbolized their collective achievement and will for many years represent the community spirit of the institution.
Workshop 1: Age group:4-5 years old
In this workshop, we invited the group to create a series of flags on which a logo representing the school should appear. The logos were created using details of architectural features from the buildings composing the campus and other objects present in the school environment.
The result is 28 stunning flags that embody the architectural and historical spirit and identity of the school.
Workshop 2: Age group 5-6 years old
In this workshop, we invited the group to create an architectural model of their school. Each pupil had to choose one of the 3 main buildings on campus and create a paper model of it as well as drawing its features (ornamentation and texture )
The children had to understand how to construct a volume from a 2 dimensional piece of paper and how from one façade to another, they could create the volume of the building.
The result is a model of the full campus, with all of the buildings and outdoor areas.
Workshop 3: Age group 5-6 years old.
In this workshop, we invited the group to create a 3D model of their school. The students had to imagine how each geometric shape could become a volume!
Workshop 4: Age group 5-6 years old
In this workshop, we invited the children to design posters representing schoolyard games. Using drawing and collage, the students could choose between two colors to compose their posters.
Workshop 5: Age group 5-6 years old
In this workshop we wanted to invite the group to consider the idea of poetry as a form of protest!
We wanted to explore the relationship between expressing an opinion or a feeling through writing and how to deliver it visually.
After getting each student to handwrite an extract of a poem on a banner, the group formed a poetic protest!
Workshop 6: Age group 6-7 years old
In this workshop, we invited the group to illustrate their experience of school. What do they do in class or on the playground?
The workshop was divided into two activities: drawing using monotype technique and an introduction to life drawing to help them understand how to draw people and objects in space.
Workshop 7: Age group 7-8 years old
In this workshop, the group was asked to illustrate Paul Eluard’s poem ‘J’écris ton nom liberté’ verse by verse with just one tool; a blue ball point pen.
After completing the illustrations, they regrouped each drawings to compose a 'toile de Jouy'.
Workshop 8: Age group 7-8 years old
In this workshop, we invited the group to imagine a
new city skyline for London. Each student was invited
to imagine several buildings to compose the city;
the only constraint was to follow the rules of the Exquisite Corpse game invented by the Surrealist movement.
Using the technique of collage, the skyline added up to form a surprising result!
Workshop 9: Age group 8-9 years old
In this workshop, we wanted to explore portraiture through collage based on the DADA movement.
After introducing the movement to the class, we asked them to create a self-portrait that illustrates their mood, feelings and thoughts while in the classroom.
Workshop 10: Age group 8-9 years old
In this workshop, we used as a starting point, research previously conducted with the teacher on portraiture in painting. Each student had to pick a painter from the last century and study it.
The workshop was composed of a series of drawing exercises to familiarize and encourage students to play and experiment with the medium. From exquisite corpse to very short drawing exercises, they were asked to concentrate on realising a portrait of one of their classmates.
The exercises helped to relax and liberate the students from any natural inhibitions about drawing. The final exercise was to draw a single portrait of a chosen classmate in the style of the painter they had previously studied. The result speaks for itself!
Workshop 11: Age group 9-10 year old
In this workshop, the notion of the photographic portrait is revisited through various techniques of collage. Students were asked to chose a technique introduced during the workshop to recompose their self-portrait.
From weaving the photograph, to cutting it up and putting it back together, the perception of the self is challenged and can sometime give a very ludic and poetic result!
For the 1st Centenary of the school, the class weaved itself with another classroom from the 70's.
The Story of Renan de Keradalan
During the academic year of 2013-2014, we have run a 8 months workshop program at the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle in London with two classes
of Grande Section Maternelle (last year of the little school).
The first step of the workshop program was to familiarise the children with
artists as well as architects who work with techniques they will use later during the workshops. We have introduced them to artists such as L.S Lowry, Paul Klee, Sou Foujimoto, Paul Cox and Antomy Gormley amongst others.
The starting point for the work was the folkloric story from Brittany:
'Renan de Keradalan'. We started the workshop looking at two dimensional techniques such as drawing, monotype, frotage and other print techniques.
Each workshop was concieved to produce another piece of the puzzle to create our 'map' for the final set.
We gradually moved into 3 dimensions with the clay sculptures, then looking at geometry and cutting out shapes that would later become the base for our set. The result is an impressive, 'floor map' composed of the childrens creations, illustrating the different episodes of the story with its inhabitants.
To accompany the final installation, we realised maps of the story, collecting and assembling all the drawings produced by the children to illustrate the story.
