Welcome to the Balzac House!
The Balzac House welcomes Recreational Centers for enchanting visits, writing workshops and art workshops, Wednesdays and during school vacations.
These activities are only available by reservation and are meant for groups of 15 or so children.
Reservation
Our Cultural and Educational Services are available to you for confirming your visit by telephone at 01 55 74 41 80 or by e-mail at eppm-balzac.reservation@paris.fr.
Admission Prices
Recreational Centers of Paris: free
Recreational Centers elsewhere: 30 euros.
Available Programs
Elementary School (6 years old and up)
Honoré’s Cane (Storytime)
Tales inspired by the life and work of Balzac, notably his enchanted cane that allowed him to slide under the skin of all sorts of people and animals.
Elementary School (7-13 years old)
New! The Balzacien Hero
After having discovered Balzac’s life and listening to his stories, choose one of his heros that inspires you in the characters-room and describe him at your whim, in Balzac’s style: don’t miss anything! Wishes, personality, family, home, dreams, flaws and strengths, you must imagine it all and write it down!
Elementary School (7-11 years old)
Write/Draw. I write my name like Balzac (workshop)
Write your name, draw your name, paint your name, the possibilities are endless. Come to have fun jazzing up the letters, and discover how a simple word can bring creative liberty that becomes illegible but nevertheless artwork.
Sketch/Model. Balzac’s Circus, in the view of Calder (workshop)
In the 19th century, with a keen eye, Honore Daumier sketched the past-times of Parisians on or in the Seine. It’s your turn to imagine the poses of bathers, fishermen at their lines or rowers, using wire.
Mignonne, Balzac’s Panther (workshop)
Mignonne is the heroine of the novella A Passion in the Desert. Students themselves, letting their pencils act as their guide, become Balzac’s illustrators.
Down with Masks! Beauty, Brisquet, Puff and others (workshop)
Listening to extracts of Balzac’s novella Heartaches of an English Cat, illustrated by Grandville (the “La Fontaine of artists”) children create masks for Beauty, Brisquet, Puff and others that please them.
Elementary School (8-13 years old)
The Cross-Portraits Game (workshop)
In his physical and psychological portraits, Balzac mixes finesse, comedy and theater. Were the illustrators of The Human Comedy loyal to his writing? The children can turn in their favor this crossed-portraits.