Educational and socially responsible initiatives

The Palace of Versailles has a long history of involvement in developing educational and socially responsible initiatives aimed at attracting visitors of all ages and backgrounds: young people, students, people with disabilities, disadvantaged people, families, those with little or no access to museums, etc. Today, many patrons are actively engaged alongside us, supporting myriad projects to develop a cultural offering that we wish to make as universal as possible, so that culture is accessible to all.

Socially responsible and educational patronage

Every year, we run numerous initiatives to enable all people, whoever they are and whatever their situation, to discover the Palace of Versailles. Many of these initiatives would never get off the ground if it weren’t for the support of patrons, who share our desire to promote and share culture, so that is accessible to all, without distinction.

 "In a society that demands a right to culture for all, with nobody left ehind, the Palace of Versailles seeks to join forces with all those who appreciate that culture and heritage offer every one of us such wonderful opportunities for escapism, personal development, openness, pleasure and sharing."

Catherine Pégard
President of the Etablissement public du château, du musée et du domaine national de Versailles

Accessibility

When it comes to developing both visit itineraries and cultural outreach strategies that are suitable for all, accessibility is one of our foremost concerns. Therefore, we ensure we consider all forms of disability, whether physical or cognitive, temporary or permanent.

Maintaining the chain

The range of tours, workshops and tools we offer to young audiences aims to showcase Versailles in all its diversity, to develop children’s interest in history and the arts, and to unite them around a universal heritage. This mission to promote passion for and pass on culture is one of our key priorities, in our effort to maintain the “great chain” that links schoolchildren to the great scholars.

Universality

Versailles is incredible, certainly, but it can also be rather intimidating. This is why we want to make it easier for those who feel far removed from museums, either geographically or culturally, by reaching out to them and organising activities specifically for them, thus fulfilling Versailles’ mission to leave no one behind.

THANK YOU TO THE PATRONS WHO SUPPORT OUR WORK

Thanks to you, Versailles remains vital and accessible to all.

"A holiday at Versailles"

With the support of Emerige

Property development company Emerige has been a long-time partner of Versailles and, through its patronage of the modern-art exhibitions Olafur Eliasson, Versailles (2016), Voyage d’Hiver (2017) and Versailles – Visible/Invisible (2019), it sought to give children aged 6 to 13 from the Ile-de-France region who were unable to have a summer holiday away the opportunity to explore the Palace of Versailles and its Gardens on a series of special days. Since the initiative was launched in 2016, almost 20,000 children have enjoyed “A holiday at Versailles”.

New educational spaces

With the support of the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation

Children, families, schools parties, disabled groups and those with little or no access to museums will be able to get even more out of the museum and its collections thanks to new spaces given over entirely to educational activities and exhibitions.

"Stopovers at Versailles - bewigged or bareheaded"

With the support of Transdev Group

In 2018 and 2019, young patients from the Margency Children’s Hospital were able to discover the Palace of Versailles through the prism of Court fashion. Following visits to the Palace and workshops held at the hospital, they turned medical items into creative materials and made wigs from gloves, masks, tubes and capsules. Photographs of the children wearing their creations were exhibited in the Girandole Grove from 21 October to 3 November 2019.

Themed days for people with disabilities and those with little or no access to museums

With the support of the FDJ Corporate Foundation

Themed days are held for partner associations of the FDJ Corporate Foundation to enable young people and families that have little or no access to culture to discover the Palace of Versailles in a fun way. Since 2013, the Foundation has also worked with the Palace of Versailles to organise tours for relevant associations during Disabilities Week.

"Theatre at the Palace of Versailles" in partnership with the penitentiary integration and probation service (SPIP) of Yvelines

With the support of the Terrévent Foundation

The penitentiary integration and probation service (SPIP) of Yvelines worked with the Palace of Versailles for three years on a large-scale project aimed at people held in detention in the department of Yvelines and involving the creation and production of a play on the subject of “Parties and entertainment at Versailles”. The project was run in three prison establishments in Yvelines over the course of two years (2017-2018) and encompassed three strands: writing, creating costume and set decorations, and, finally, performance. The play was performed in the Royal Tennis Court at Versailles on 14 and 15 December 2018.

Production of props and interpretative tools for people with disabilities, as part of the "Beyond the walls" programme

With the support of the Handicap & Société Endowment Fund

To make tours more accessible, the Palace of Versailles has been working to create sensory tools to help people with disabilities learn about the collections in a different way.

Activities to promote artistic and cultural education

With the support of MGEN Group

As part of the initiative “A l’école du patrimoine et de la création” (School of Heritage and Design) and continuing on from the “On ne copie pas, mais…” (“We’re not copying, but…”) project conducted in 2017-2018, the Palace of Versailles and the Academy of Versailles are organising – once again, with the support of the MGEN Group – a new multidisciplinary academic initiative for the 2019-2020 school year. The “Murmures d’histoires” (“Whispered stories”) project invites volunteer classes from kindergarten to pre-secondary school level in the Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Val d’Oise and Yvelines departments to visit the Gallery of Battles at the Palace of Versailles and create a work together, based on their subjective experience of the space and the artworks. At the end of the school year, all the pupils’ creations will be exhibited in a virtual gallery that can be viewed online.

300 young people invited to explore the gardens of Versailles

With the support of the Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund

Thanks to the patronage of the Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund, a flowerbed broadly inspired by the lush vegetation of Africa has been planted at the Grand Trianon. The Fund is equally committed to combating cultural discrimination, to which end it wanted to invite 300 young people supported by the associations Le Refuge and Aurore, as well as the French Juvenile Protection Service, to come and explore the Trianon gardens and, in particular, the African-inspired parterre.

you, too, can become a patron

Whether you’re a private individual, a company or a foundation, you can participate in an educational and socially responsible patronage project and help put human beings at the heart of heritage.

Please contact the Patronage Department : mecenat@chateauversailles.fr
+ 33 (0) 1 30 83 79 44