On Friday 14th July, as part of our French cultural understanding, Barley Mow Primary School pupils celebrated Bastille Day. Festivities are held in France on this day to commemorate the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, which marked the start of the French Revolution.
We began with an assembly to learn the significance of the day. We then combined our celebration with the “Take One Picture” project from the National Gallery in London, focussing on French artist Henri Rousseau. Each class studied the painting “Surprised” by Rousseau in great detail and then used this as a stimulus for activities. The children had great fun listening to soundscapes, using viewfinders, sketching, painting, using pastels, charcoal, creating collages and generally becoming immersed in their art work. They produced a wide range of fabulous pieces which we will share with each other in assembly on Wednesday.
