Events & Activities for Kids & Families at the Institut francais
In the run-up to the Night of Ideas, the French Institute invites our youngest to join a Little Night. Our public and school events offer wonderful entertaining and creative workshops and activities designed to familiarise children and teenagers with the concepts and broad themes that will be discussed during the Night of Ideas on 27 January.
▶️ Enter the Little Night
Discover the full offer for children and their parents below.
Workshop Woodland Community Project
Workshop – 27 Jan – 16:00 | Free
Aspiring urban planners, architects, designers, diplomats, forest guards and biologists, come together to make influential decisions on the reorganisation of a patch of forest, home to a variety of animals. In this workshop, the participants will be given the opportunity to build miniature shacks and customise them in their own original way.
▶️ Book online
Mapping Controversies
Debate - 26 Jan – 17:00 | Free
Introduced by French sociologist and philosopher Bruno Latour, Mapping Controversies is an innovative teaching method to train students and future citizens to navigate in a world of uncertainties. 25 students of the Lycée français Charles de Gaulle will perform a live debate on public statues dedicated to controversial colonial figures.
▶️ Book online
Little Night Audio Clips & Drawings
School Project - Online
The French Institute has invited British and French schools in the UK to produce short audio clips and drawings based on a set of questions around the themes of the Night of Ideas. Discover them online.
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The Velvet Queen
Before the Night - 25 Jan
In the heart of the Tibetan highlands, award-winning wildlife photographer Vincent Munier brings writer and adventurer Sylvain Tesson (In the Forest of Siberia) on his quest to find the legendary, elusive snow leopard.
▶️ Book online
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
CinéFamilies - 28 & 29 Jan, 2 Feb
Will Sharpe’s captivating biographical comedy-drama tells the extraordinary story of eccentric artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch). When the unconventional, lively, and brilliant, Louis Wain is hired as a newspaper illustrator, his playful psychedelic drawings will change Victorian London’s perception of cats forever.
▶️ Book online
French Club - ages 4-7
Workshop - 29 Jan - 11am
Through storytelling, singing, board-games or even ipad games, your young kid(s) will discover the beautiful French language and start to learn how to understand and speak it.
▶️ Book online
L'Enfant sauvage
CinéFamilies - 30 Jan & 1 Feb
Based on a true story of a “wild child” found in the forest in the late 18th century, L’Enfant sauvage relates the efforts of behavioural scientist Jean Itard, played by Truffaut himself, to “civilise” the child.
▶️ Book online
Rebellious & Glorious Minds
Relaxed Screening - 30 Jan
Follow three strong-minded girls bravely tackling the unknown and join their adventures across the world in this selection of 3 delightful animated short films: My Life in Versailles, Mum is Pouring Rain, and Vanille.
▶️ Book online
Baby Comptines - Ages 0-3
Nursery Rhymes - 1 & 15 Feb
Put some sparkles in your toddler’s ears and take part in our interactive French nursery rhymes session with its instruments! Expect songs, dance and great fun for little ones.
▶️ Book online
Hello World!
CinéTots - 3 Feb
Hello World! is a whimsical examination of a fragile ecosystem, made with papier-mâché puppets. These 10 episodes are 10 animated adventures in stop motion and hand-crafted sculptures set in beautifully painted backgrounds. An artist’s view on how is a bird born, why does one come into the world as an insect, mammal or fish?
▶️ Book online
Story Time - Ages 2-6
Reading - 5 Feb
Let your kids’ imagination run wild in our story time sessions! With a new theme each month, they will discover our favourite stories from French author: tales, picture books, and sometimes a bit of sing along or kamishibai, to have a fun Saturday morning.
▶️ Book online
Fahim
CinéFamilies - 5 Feb
Forced to flee his native Bangladesh, eight-year old chess prodigy Fahim arrives in Paris with his father. Refused asylum as illegal immigrants, they spiral downwards into homelessness and desperation. By a stroke of luck, Fahim is introduced to one of France’s top chess coaches, Sylvain (Depardieu), who tutors him and gives him a sense of purpose.
▶️ Book online
Poly
CinéFamilies - 6 Feb
Cécile, 10 years old, moves to the South of France with her mother. Integration with the other children of the village is not easy. When a passing circus settles down next door, Cécile discovers that Poly the star pony is being mistreated, so she decides to protect him and organise an escape.
▶️ Book online