PHILOSOPHIZE,

CREATE
AND DREAM TOMORROW'S WORLD

PHILOMOOS PHILOSOPHY AND CREATIVE ART WORKSHOPS ARE DEDICATED TO AWAKENING CHILDREN AND TEENAGEERS TO CRITICAL THINKING AND TO THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF ART

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WHAT IS
PHILOMOOS?

Through philosophy and creative art workshops, children and teenagers are offered to think and create an object together.
A two-staged purpose: we think, then we create! After each philosophical debate, a customized creative workshop is offered. Inspired by different artistic movements, clearly influenced by surrealist movements, they are thought out like “do-it-yourself” workshops. Each participant will leave with their unique object!
We have been carrying out our workshops for three years now, mainly at the Pompidou Center in Paris.In partnership with “l’Education Nationale” (French Ministry of Education), we also develop our workshops in primary schools in the French “department” (county) of Finistère, in Brittany.

[ DOWNLOAD OUR ETHICAL CHARTER (FRENCH - PDF) ]
Two children in creative activity, making cut-outs.

WHY
PHILOMOOS?

In ancient philosophy it is not uncommon to find the image of navigation associated with the art of thinking or philosophizing. Aristotle would advise to move one’s vessel away from the swell and storms in the same way as he recommended those who wanted to philosophize to move away from their passions. Our name “Philomoos” is a sound play on the word “mousse” (French for a young ship’s boy), this young sailor who learns the art of navigation

Illustration of a little boy wearing a hat and a sailor’s T-shirt riding an origami boat.

WHISHING TO ORGANIZE
A WORKSHOP ?

[ CONTACT US ]

THEY SUPPORT US

The France Inter logo, white text in a red square on a black square The Pompidou Center logo black on a white background The Gobelins School logo, a blue circle above a blue diagonal shape The National Education logo, the French flag with Marianne The UNESCO logo with the UNESCO building Typographic logo of the First Editions. The logo is black, the text is 'First Editions'
The BPI logo with the black stairs on a white background The Drawing Art logo. 'Drawing Art' is written in black on orange scribbling The Usbek and Rica logo, 'Usbek and Rica' written in black

THE TEAM

Portrait of Fanny

FANNY BOURRILLON

teaches Philosophy of Art and the Humanities (Classics) at L’Ecole des Gobelins in Paris. The founder and monitor of the philosophy and creative art workshops for children and teenagers, designs workshops about different topics such as love, self-image in the era of social networks, tomorrow’s city, dreams, freedom… Also a pianist, she regularly gives performances as a soloist or with other musicians and artists.

Portrait of Angie

ANGIE GADEA

holds a Master’s degree of interior design from the Veritas University in Costa Rica. Angie is an eclectic artist who has dedicated herself to textile arts, embroidery, weaving, painting on fabric and antique furniture restoration. Throughout the philosophy and creative art workshops, Angie offers activities mixing arts and crafts, visual and graphic arts for the making of authentic and unique objects.

WANTING TO ORGANIZE
A WORKSHOP ?

[ CONTACT US ]

WHO ARE OUR WORKSHOPS
INTENDED FOR ?

We offer our workshops to children from the age of 5. Our workshops are set up by age groups and level, from kindergarten (older section of nursery school) to junior high school and high school students during ACE (Artistic and cultural Education) workshops in partnership with the French Ministry of Education.
These workshops are also intended for children with disabilities. (Contact us).
We organize debates for allophone classes as well.

HOW DOES A WORKSHOP
UNFOLD ?

The philomoos workshops are a two-staged activity, the philosophical one, and the creative one. Each philosophical debate poses a specific philosophical question available for consultation in the following sections :

[ OUR WORKSHOPS
FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS ]

The monitor « guides » the answers in order to build up reflection around the question raised. We focus on favoring attentive listening, and building reasoning and answer together with the others.

Throughout the creative art workshop, children are requested to express themselves using other ways than speech, and also develop self-confidence and creativity. Customized activities are on offer, with different material renewed each time, and inspired by different movements of the History of Arts.

Illustration of a young girl lying with her arms crossed behind her head.

CREATIONS

We mainly offer the children to create complete objects: dream catchers, utopia boxes, mobiles, multilayer self-portraits… offering different techniques such as collage from original plates, drawing on paper, fabric or cardboard, watercolor painting etc. … These works often call up to a mix of different techniques to create an authentic unique object.

WORKSHOPS
FOR CHILDREN
[AGED 5 TO 12]

Philomoos workshops have been approved by the Ministry of Education and given their consent and can be set up in Primary schools, from kindergarten to the 5th grade. The content of the workshops can vary according to their age. The creative art workshops are customized and make up a recreational time when the children experiment the different tools that we make available to them.

CATALOG
OF THE WORKSHOPS

WHAT IS A DREAM?

PHILOSOPHY : The philosophical interest of this workshop is to question the certainties the children might have regarding their dreams. How to know that in this very moment we are not dreaming ?
CREATION : The children achieve their own revisited dream catcher.

CAN WE LIVE
WITHOUT LOVE?

PHILOSOPHY : The children are invited to think about their friends, friendship and love, and the bond they have with people. How is it that we like or love a person ? Is it because he/she is nice or lovable? or is it the other way round ?
CREATION : A heart book.

IS IT BEING COURGAGEOUS
TO BE AFRAID OF NOTHING?

PHILOSOPHY : It is all about leading the children to think about what fear is, so to explain it, and going further, digging a little deeper, to consider how it can be useful in daily life, for instance in great actions that call up to one’s courage.
CREATION : During the creative workshop, the children make their own mask of a monster.

Animals in a boat with the Philomoos mascot and another child

ARE ANIMALS
«DIFFERENT» FROM US?

PHILOSOPHY : Children show interest for animals from an early age. However, this bond with animals is rarely questioned by the children. Why do we like or love animals ? Are we different from animals ? What do we have in common ?
CREATION : During the creative workshop, the children make a « totem animal» mobile.

WHAT IS
NATURE?

PHILOSOPHY: We ask the children to think about the place of humans in nature. Are we « in » nature ? Is it outside of us? The philosophical debate aims at rethinking and understanding what connects us to the rest of the living and to our environment.
CREATION : The making of a composite portrait in the style of the portraits of the Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

WHAT IS
TOLERANCE?

PHILOSOPHY : From an early age, children understand what meaness is, or violence, and mockery. Asking ourselves what is intolerable in violent behaviors, they will be requested to think about the importance of tolerance and gentleness.
CREATION : Collective achievement of a tree of tolerance, as a collaborating project.

Philomoos mascot watching the sky, an owl is perched on the telescope

WHY DO WE WANT TO
EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE?

PHILOSOPHY : During this workshop we ponder about the human and this insatiable curiosity that is ours. Are we trying to escape from the Earth ? What interest do we have in exploring the Universe ?
CREATION : The making of a mosaic from a technique of « tessellation ». In the form of an « infinite paving » the children make a figure (bird, fish or creature) and decline it as much as they want.

WHY ARE WE
AFRAID OF DEATH?

PHILOSOPHY : The purpose of this workshop is to share the fear we have regarding our own death, or the death of a loved one, to approach the question philosophically, with more hindsight and acceptance.
CREATION : The making of a mandala from natural elements.

YOU ARE A STRUCTURE
AN INSTITUTION (MUSEUM, MULTIMEDIA LIBRARY)
OR A SCHOOL, YOU WANT TO
ORGANIZE A WORKSHOP
FROM A TOPIC THAT IS NOT
IN THE LIST ? NO PROBLEM !

[ CONTACT-US ]

WORKSHOPS
FOR TEENAGERS
[from 13 to 16]

The Philomoos workshops don’t stop at children! They also benefit teens whose questioning is highly rich. Through the workshops, teens also learn to express themselves in a group, listen to others, being sensitive to it, at an age when building up one’s personality often means through other people’s eye.

CATALOG
OF THE WORKSHOPS

Main d'enfant en train de faire un collage

WHY DO WE DREAM?
WHAT IS THE USE
OF DREAMS?

PHILOSOPHY : How can we be sure that in this very moment, we are not dreaming ? During this workshop we will broach the question of the power of dream to create worlds and contribute to the knowledge we have of ourselves and other people.
CREATION : It consists in making a dream catcher symbolizing our dreams, night or day dreams.

WHY AND HOW
TO DREAM TOMMOROW'S
CITY?

PHILOSOPHY : Halfway between philosophy and town planning, the youngest children are requested to think and imagine the city of the future. How do we wish to live together ?
CREATION : Reinvention of a district of their own town or city from a map or an aerial picture.

IS THERE A BORDER
BETWEEN MAN
AND ANIMALS?

PHILOSOPHY : At the time of climate crisis and the disappearance of many animal species, this workshop offers crucial thinking about the all-time idea, taken for granted, of the « superiority » of man over the rest of the living.
CREATION : Participants are offered to make a mobile composed of totem animals.

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS NATURE?

PHILOSOPHY : Is there nature outside of us? In this workshop we question the traditional opposition between nature and culture so as to think twice about our relationship with the living, as well as the other species.
CREATION : Composition made of natural elements forming a hybrid being, human, animal, and vegetal.

A hand gluing a blurred shape

CAN WE LIVE
WITHOUT LOVE?

PHILOSOPHY : Is loving as natural as breathing ? Are there any different ways of loving ? What can we learn from the feeling of love ?
CREATION : By making a « heart notebook », the children are made to think about their own loves, they can mix drawings, collages and poetic work.

ARE WE MORE FREE
AS WE ARE GETTING
MORE TOLERANT ?

PHILOSOPHY : Being tolerant doesn’t mean accepting everything. So, what is « being tolerant » ? What connection is there between tolerance and freedom ?
CREATION : This workshop consists in making a portrait, in profile, surrounded by prejudices. The interiority of the mind is the space offered to defend and protect oneself from it.

A teen’s hand drawing on a black board

IS DEATH PART
OF LIFE?

PHILOSOPHY : What do we know about death? What is the reason why we dread it ? During this workshop, the challenge is to think about death, and to measure to what extent this reflection can contribute to « good » living.
CREATION : starry sky, the teens write down all the symbolic elements that link them to life.

IS WATCHING THE SKY
AN ESCAPE?

PHILOSOPHY : From the earliest mythical accounts, humans have watched the sky. Both scientists and early philosophers wanted to understand the origin of the Universe and know its laws. Are we trying to « escape » from the Earth when we watch the sky ?
CREATION : Each participant creates a piece to be endlessly declined by a tessellation process invented by Mauris Cornelits Eicher.

A child drawing on a board, with a black man in a lunar landscape

AM I THE ONE
I SHOW OTHERS
THROUGH SOCIAL NETWOKRS?

PHILOSOPHY : During the philosophy workshop, the philosopher monitor invites the teenagers to question their practices of social network, and more deeply, question the relationship they have with images, more particularly their own image.
CREATION : The creative workshop consists in making a multi-layer self portrait with collage, painting and drawing techniques.

DOES ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
THINK?

PHILOSOPHY : AI is fascinating because it imitates human intelligence while being much better at some tasks. However, can we say that an AI « think » ? Is it aware of itself?
CREATION : Inspired by design fiction, the creative workshop offers each participant to create a utopia box for an Artificial Intelligence of 2148...

A teen drawing a hand

FROM GESTURE TO SPEECH
WHAT DOES THE HAND
SYMBOLIZE?

This workshop was commissioned by the Drawing Now Festival in Paris in March 2020

PHILOSOPHY : The hand is the « tool of all tools », the philosopher Aristotle said. But isn’t the hand something more than a mere tool ? We will be wondering whether the hand is not a symbol of our human peculiarities.
CREATION : The idea is to represent one or several hands by drawing a message onto them. What would our hands say if they could speak ?

MY BODY :
DO I HAVE A BODY,
OR AM I A BODY?

PHILOSOPHY : Who is « my body » ? Is it an envelope which covers my mind ? Or is much more than this, the very condition which makes the whole of my experiences (of the world, of others) possible ? The question of the body and the soul is at the heart of many philosophical reflections, which we will outline in this workshop, right up to the issues linked to the question of belonging; does « my body » belong to me ? Can I use it as I see fit ? This workshop is an opportunity to put current topics in perspective: from women’s body considered as a mere object, to different forms of violence and domination.
CREATION : making of a real size articulated silhouette.

YOU ARE A STRUCTURE
AN INSTITUTION (MUSEUM, MULTIMEDIA LIBRARY)
OR A SCHOOL
ORGANIZE A WORKSHOP
FROM A TOPIC THAT IS NOT
IN THE LIST ? NO PROBLEM !

[ CONTACT US ]

THE BOOK

Portrait of Fanny and Angie

Both theoretical and practical, serious and innovative, this book has been designed (imagined) to get you to dialogue with your children and think together about the major issues of life. Seven topics invite you to enter a philosophical and creative world, from dreams to friendship, including death, the Universe, tolerance, animals and nature. You will be guided there step by step.

50 Activités pour philosopher avec ses enfants, Fanny Bourrillon and Angie Gadea, édition FIRST, September 2020.

50 activities to philosophize with children book cover

YOU CAN ORDER THIS BOOK
FROM YOUR BOOKSTORE

[ OR ONLINE ]

PODCAST

Listen to a workshop in St Rivoal (29) (french)

Sound recording and editing : Sophie Gorisse
Music : Litovsk

Listen to philosophize with the children (french)

« Grand bien vous fasse » (meaning: Good for you! Welcome to it!) Ali Rebeihi
France Inter - 20 October 2020

CURRENT EVENTS

From April 2022, the thematic offer of philomoos is developing with a workshop on "mimesis" and the notion of imitation in the arts. They will take place at the Rodin museum in Paris, and in the gardens of the museum. The challenge is to question the correspondence between art and truth, art and nature and to think of Rodin's phrase: "What is false in art is ugly".

Statues in Rodin museum

Our book « 50 activities to philosophize with your children (First 2020) will be published in Taiwan in 2022! Here is an overview in Chinese with complex characters. More information to come as soon as it is published!

Pages of the book translated into Chinese

Find out the program and register on the philosophical factory for the 20th international meetings of the new philosophical practices taking place in Liège on November 18 and 19, 2021. Fanny Bourrillon’s communication « Philomoos Phihilosophy and creation workshops, towards an interrelational practice » will be held on Friday, November 19th at 3:15pm in the auditorium of the Boverie Museum (PhiloArt Worksite)

Detailed program RNPP 2021 Logo des nouvelles pratiques philosophiques

On June 12th a conference took place at the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris (Paris International library) where Fanny presented the Philomoos workshops. Find the intervention during the event :

Philosophizing with the children, a political stake, or a stake for emancipation. Children reading

The students in DNMADE (diploma in crafts and design) from the Gobelins School in Paris are involved in the supervision of the Philomoos workshops! As part of a first-year project, they work on the Philomoos TV channel :

Typographic logo with rectangular letters

Camille & Nour

Colorful typographic logo with eyes for O

Clara & Sophie

Typographic logo with a thinker

Matéo & Amina

Typographic logo with Yoda

Zoé & Nathan

The workshops are going on during the health crisis! We still work in schools, and since this year, the BPI workshops are held outside the walls, and directly with partner junior high schools.

Group photo of a masked class

CONTACT

You are interested in our workshops and want to organize some within your institution (museum, multimedia library, art center, youth club, school...)

[ e-mail us ]

lesateliers@philomoos.com

[ or via this form ↓]