Following three years of cultural twinning, the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and the towns of Maurepas, La Verrière and Guyancourt are joining forces for a new three-year programme focusing on the arts and sciences. Following an inaugural year in 2024–2025 focusing on ‘Inventions and Discoveries’, the 2025–2026 year will be dedicated to ‘Intelligences’.
Over the course of three years, participants will take part in workshops and artistic and scientific outreach activities centred on cross-disciplinary themes drawn from the Baroque world, covering a wide range of disciplines including singing, dance, theatre, set and costume design, scientific experimentation and hands-on experiments. Each year will conclude with a showcase in the form of a performance or exhibition. The Fête de la Science, a national event organised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, sets the theme each year, which is then incorporated into performances suitable for all ages by the ensembles Les Lunaisiens and Ozio Regio.
Art and science are two complementary ways of understanding the world. Their combination fosters creative thinking and innovation, offers learning opportunities, and enables the acquisition of new knowledge and skills. This approach promotes communication and collaboration skills, whilst challenging and overturning preconceived notions.
Focus on the Baroque Section: an inclusive and innovative educational programme
Following an introductory programme in primary school (involving 10 classes from Year 5 to Year 7), pupils at Louis Pergaud Secondary School who wish to do so join the arts stream from Year 8 onwards, following a programme throughout their school years that combines singing, drama, dance, an introduction to the performing arts professions, set design and directing. In collaboration with teachers, artists and educational practitioners, the CMBV offers pupils an inclusive space conducive to cultural discovery, artistic creation and career exploration through a wide range of activities: workshops, performances, guided tours, concerts and shows, etc.
Programme
From Monday 1 September 2025
Weekly activities for the Baroque Section
MaurepasWeekly activities for the Baroque Option
La Verrière- Monday 1 September 2025
Back to school with music
La Verrière / Guyancourt / Maurepas From November to December 2025
Music, freedom, citizenship
La Verrière / Guyancourt / MaurepasThursday 29 January 2026
'Jeudi musical' by the Baroque Section with the CMBV Pages: Les Fontaines de Versailles- From january to June 2026
Cross-disciplinary insights: workshops as part of the presentation Le Cerveau de Voltaire (Théâtre Montansier, Versailles)
La Verrière / Guyancourt / Maurepas - Tuesday 19 May 2026 - 7 pm
Le Cerveau de Voltaire
Creation and performance of the Baroque Option
La Verrière - Thursday 4 june 2026 - 6.30 pm
Le Cerveau de Voltaire
The creation and revival of the Baroque Section
Maurepas - Tuesday 30 june 2026 - 6.30 pm
Le Cerveau de Voltaire
A production and performance by Les Lunaisiens ensemble (conducted by Arnaud Marzorati)
With the participation of Les Pages of the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, the Baroque programme at Philippe de Champaigne Secondary School, and participants in the ‘Intelligences croisées’ workshops (Théâtre Montansier, Versailles)
