The inaugural Samuel Beckett Bridge Project event took place on 24 April 2024 in Trinity, as the School of Creative Arts welcomed over fifty pupils from the Lycée Victor Duruy (Bagnères-de-Bigorre, France) and their teachers – Marlène Bonnefille (Economic and Social Sciences Teacher), Xavier Chalot (English Teacher), Perrine Gourio (History and Geography Teacher), and Laurent Martin (Biology Teacher). This event was organised by Céline Thobois-Gupta (Adjunct Lecturer in Drama) in partnership with the Lycée Victor Duruy, the Department of French, the Department of Drama, the Trinity Centre for Beckett Studies, and the French Embassy.

Aiming to celebrate Franco-Irish relationships and foster bonds between secondary and tertiary education across borders, the project introduced pupils to the life and work of Samuel Beckett in a multidisciplinary fashion. Céline designed five microlectures presenting Beckett’s childhood in Foxrock, his education and teaching years in Trinity, his experience of the war in France, his post-war work with the Irish Red Cross in Saint-Lô (Normandie, France), and his modernist legacy. As part of the history and geography subject, students repurposed this material into sketchnote boards and podcasts, while they created playlets after Waiting for Godot during their English classes. They also investigated the geology, fauna and flora of the Dublin mountains with their biology teacher, who organised a field trip in Killiney. 

Pupils presented their work in the Robert Emmet Theatre of the Arts Building, which was assessed by a jury composed of Sarah Alyn-Stacey (Head of the Department of French), Mairéad Hurley (Assistant Professor in the School of Education), Kara Jonsson (Researcher in the Department of Drama), Laura Le Cleach (Language Attachée at the French Embassy), and Céline Thobois-Gupta (Researcher at the Trinity Centre for Beckett Studies). The jury commended both the creativity of the students and the level of their work, through which they demonstrated how Beckett’s texts resonate with contemporary themes – such as technology and ecology – and how his legacy is useful to think European history and culture. Eight prizes – generously sponsored by the French Embassy – were awarded to the best productions, and all students received a certificate of attendance and participation.

The pupils’ presentations wrapped up the one-day programme, which began with a recreational activity in Saint Stephen’s Green on the notion of commemoration related to the history of the park and the history of Ireland. They were then given a tour of Trinity College’s campus that highlighted the rich history of the college, its activities and collections, while providing information on student life. After lunch, students attended a lecture on the commemoration of Samuel Beckett in Dublin’s urban space and a presentation on study abroad. The success of this pilot project acts as an incentive to hold the event on an annual basis, which we will be working towards in the coming months. In so doing, we endeavour to contribute to the college’s mission to inspire the next generation of global citizens, while honouring one of its most prominent alumni.

To read the report published by the Lycée Victor Duruy, visit their blog - Lycée Victor Duruy student blog.