On Sunday, July 12, students enjoyed an excursion to Aix-en-Provence. This trip, the last of the programme, brought students to the studio of Paul Cézanne, the celebrated Impressionist, and later to the Musée Granet.
Having left Les Tapies at about 7am, the programme's vans arrived in Aix just before 10. The gates to Cézanne's studio were opened just as we arrived, and programme participants relaxed in Cézanne's garden before being invited in for a tour.
#TeamBarry!
After tours of the studio had concluded, students were led downhill to a meeting point at a mossy fountain on the Cour Mirabeau, a central road in Aix. Students were then given free time until 2, at which point we moved onto the Musée Granet where works by Paul Cézanne and Pablo Picasso were on show:
Back at Les Tapies, the reality of final presentations and exhibitions began to set in, and students worked furiously to complete their portfolios and prepare their work for display.
It wasn't all work and no play, however. On Tuesday night students and staff were invited to participate in a talent show on Fouine Terrace:
Instructor John Smalley plays guitar...
...as Drawing & Painting and Art History staff member Camila Aguais dances
Then student Laura took the stage to sing two beautiful songs:
Next it was Talah's turn. She sang in Arabic:
The audience was very impressed!
Then Daniel took the stage, borrowing John Smalley's rosewood guitar for his set, which he described as a fusion of 12 Jimi Hendrix songs:
Fernando then took the stage to mime his way through a DJ set:
His adoring fans went wild:
But then the mood shifted as he regaled the programme with a spooky tale of spirits - appropriately enough, he was interrupted midway through by the sound of creaking, emanating from an empty corner of the terrace.