This weekend, 24 and 25 June, the Palace of Versailles invites you to take part in an “Arts Pentathlon”, featuring Visual Arts, Literature and Writing, Audiovisual and Digital Arts, Architecture and Design, and Music and Performing Arts. In which of these artistic fields will you shine? Come and find out as part of this special programme of events. On your marks, set … get creative!
24 and 25 June 2023 Arts Pentathlon
WEEKEND EVENT – 24 AND 25 JUNE 2023
On the weekend of 24 and 25 June, to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic Day, the Place of Versailles is hosting an arts festival in the Orangery in its gardens. You’ll be able to compile your own Arts Pentathlon. Workshops on how to make and use vegetable paint, embroidery 2.0, theatre improvisation, photography, working with marble and porcelain, and audio creation using the sounds of the Palace are just some of the activities open to everyone over this special weekend.
You can also leave behind proof of your participation in the Arts Pentathlon by contributing to the collaborative work “Celebration”, created and organised by the “Oeuvre Participative” voluntary association.
In addition, the creations produced as part of the five “Arts Pentathlon” artistic and cultural education projects by schoolchildren and children in health facilities in the department of Yvelines, in collaboration with artists, will be on display in the Orangery over the weekend.
practical information
- Bookings include access to the Orangery at the Palace of Versailles and its gardens, participation in five 20-minute workshops and contribution to the collaborative work. On arrival, participants will be given a booklet describing all the workshops on offer and where they are taking place.
- Meeting point: Group entrance – Ministers’ Wing North
- Activities are suitable for children aged 7 and over.
- Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
- The visit exists only in French
Timetables for Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June:
- 9.45 am to 12.30 pm
- 10.15 am to 1 pm
- 1.15 pm to 4 pm
- 1.45 pm to 5 pm
Prices: €10 (reduced price: €7; free entry on presentation of a permit)
On Friday, 23 June, Olympic and Paralympic Day, the Palace of Versailles is inviting groups to take part in an event linked to the five arts of the Pentathlon. Introductory workshops on the visual arts and architecture, discovering digital arts, word games and mind challenges, dance, singing and acting are all on offer on this special day.
THE ARTS PENTATHLON
In 2023 and 2024, the Palace of Versailles will be putting the arts front and centre by inviting visitors to discover their artistic talent in five areas:
- Music and performing arts
- Visual arts
- Literature and writing
- Architecture and design
- Audiovisual and digital arts
For this Arts Pentathlon, loosely inspired by the “Pentathlon of the Muses” devised by Pierre de Coubertin for the 1912 Olympic Games, a special programme has been put together, featuring weeks dedicated to a particular discipline of the arts, special-event weekends, resources and activities to enjoy at home, etc.
DID YOU KNOW?
The modern pentathlon is a sporting challenge comprising five events: running, riding, swimming, shooting and fencing. It has its roots in 19th-century military training for soldiers. Pierre de Coubertin included it in the Olympic Games to represent the ideal athlete.
During the time of Louis XIV, military training was something different entirely, more akin – for the nobility – to producing the perfect courtier. The arts figured prominently in this process.
As emphasised by Molière, a gentleman must understand music and dance, so that he may move about and fight with elegance; express himself equally well in verse and in prose in order to emerge victorious from any type of mind game; ride a horse to indicate his status and rank both on the battlefield and while hunting; and have knowledge of architecture so that he may build strongholds and ramparts, as well as palaces and magnificent gardens. So it was that in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was not sport that trained the body and mind but the arts.
MONTHLY PROGRAMME
The “Arts Pentathlon” has been designed as programme of artistic exercises, featuring a series of special highlights, which will conclude on 24 June 2024 – Olympic and Paralympic Day.
The first exercise is due to take place from February to June 2023. During this period, one week per month will be devoted to the five areas in the Arts Pentathlon. This will be an opportunity for visitors to discover their artistic talent during introductory workshops, cheek by jowl with the Palace of Versailles’ artworks.
14 to 19 February 2023: Visual arts
Painting, sculpture, drawing photography… try your hand at various visual-arts techniques during this artistic pentathlon, while availing of a unique opportunity to get up close to artworks in the Sculptures and Mouldings Gallery.
14 to 19 March: Literature and writing
Poetry, public speaking, calligraphy, ‘exquisite corpse’ games… try different writing methods during this artistic pentathlon, while availing of a unique opportunity to get up close to artworks in the Chimay and South Attics.
18 to 23 April: Audiovisual and digital arts
Audio creations, artificial intelligence, augmented reality… discover the many creative possibilities offered by digital tools during this artistic pentathlon, while availing of a unique opportunity to get up close to artworks in the Empire rooms.
9 to 14 May: Architecture and design
From the Grand Trianon itself to its groves, not forgetting its furniture and furnishings… try different architectural and decorative techniques during this artistic pentathlon, while availing of a unique opportunity to get up close to artworks in the Grand Trianon.
20 to 25 June: Music and performing arts
Dance, music, acting, bodily expression… recite, play, sing, dance during this artistic pentathlon, while enjoying a unique experience in the heart of the gardens of the Petit Trianon.
GROUPS
Monthly programme
All workshops are suitable for students in Cycle 2 of secondary school (15–16 years old), adults and people with physical,* cognitive, mental and psychological disabilities (* apart from the Literature and writing workshop).
Prices:
- €75 per school group (option to pay using the French Government’s Pass Culture scheme)
- €25 per group of socially disadvantaged visitors/people with disabilities
Arts Pentathlon event – Friday, 23 June 2023
On Friday, 23 June, to mark Olympic and Paralympic Day, the Palace of Versailles invites you to take part in an event linked to the five arts of the Pentathlon. Introductory workshops on the visual arts and architecture, discovering digital arts, word games and mind challenges, dance, singing and acting are all on offer on this special day.
All workshops are suitable for students in Cycle 2 of secondary school (15–16 years old), adults and people with physical, cognitive, mental and psychological disabilities.
Prices:
- €75 per school group (option to pay using the French Government’s Pass Culture scheme)
- €25 per group of socially disadvantaged visitors/people with disabilities
HOW TO BOOK
Bookings for group activities must be made by email – send to pentathlondesarts@chateauversailles.fr indicating the following:
- The name of the organisation
- Email address and phone number
- Composition of the group (number of participants and number of support persons)
- Choice of activity – title of the workshop, date and time
Where possible, you will be given your choice of date and time; where these are not available, you will be offered another slot.
The booking will then be confirmed by email and a booking form will be sent to you, with payment required within 15 days.
TRAINING COURSES
As part of this programme, the Palace of Versailles is offering teachers a series of training courses on the featured monthly artistic disciplines.
The courses exist only in French.
Find out more about the courses
projects
In addition to this unique programme, the Arts Pentathlon features inclusive artistic and cultural education projects aimed at school audiences, specific groups and those with disabilities.
In 2023, five groups (one for each of the Pentathlon areas) of schoolchildren and children in health facilities in the department of Yvelines were invited to come together and get to know each other while working on five creations combining art and sports culture. For this, they worked with five artists, representing the five disciplines of the Arts Pentathlon. All of the group’s creations will be put on display together at the Orangery of the Palace of Versailles during the special-event weekend of 23, 24 and 25 June 2023.
Label
The Arts Pentathlon has been awarded the ‘Olympiade Culturelle’ label.
PROJECT PATRON
The Arts Pentathlon has been made possible by the support of the MGEN group.
