A youth that dares
The BNP Paribas Foundation unveiled its new monumental mural dedicated to the hip-hop excellence sports section at Lycée Turgot in Paris.
Following conductor Zahia Ziouani in Pantin, artist and activist Diariata N’Diaye in Angers, and researcher Amandine Cornille in Amiens, the BNP Paribas Foundation continues its series of murals dedicated to those who push boundaries. Because empowering those who act also means giving them visibility.
This year, it is a youth that builds itself, dares and succeeds that takes center stage in the heart of Paris, on the iconic and busy Avenue de l’Opéra.
On Tuesday 26 May, the BNP Paribas Foundation unveiled its fourth monumental mural, just steps from the Opéra Garnier. Created by photographer Little Shao — an internationally renowned dance photographer and former b-boy — this work of over 80 m² pays tribute to the hip-hop section at Lycée Turgot.
The mural features Numia Da Luz and Lotte Thomas, two former students of the section, alongside their teacher David Bérillon. Behind these faces lies a unique educational and artistic adventure, unlike anything else in Europe.
A pioneering section
In 2015, David Bérillon created at Lycée Turgot the first free hip-hop section integrated into a state secondary school in Europe.
His ambition was simple: to enable young dancers to pursue both a demanding academic curriculum and a high-level artistic practice simultaneously.
Supported by the Paris Academy, the programme now welcomes students from across France and even from other European countries. Each year, nearly one hundred candidates apply for around twenty places.
Since 2023, the BNP Paribas Foundation has supported this initiative through a range of artistic, cultural, and educational projects.
“In this excellence section, young people who weren’t necessarily expected to be there discover that they have their place both on stage and in the classroom,” says David Bérillon.
Making visible what deserves to be seen
With this new mural, the BNP Paribas Foundation reaffirms a core conviction: culture is a remarkable driver of empowerment and confidence.
Through this series of monumental works, the Foundation chooses to give visibility to inspiring journeys that often go unnoticed.
The installation celebrates artistic excellence as much as it does transmission, commitment and the capacity of young people to forge new paths.
As the official photographer of breaking at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Little Shao captured the students in what defines the singularity of his work: the suspended moment of movement.
A way of revealing the full power, energy and poetry of hip-hop dance.
A collective story
This mural is also the culmination of a collective story — one of encounters, trust and transmission.
Over the years, students at Lycée Turgot have crossed paths with numerous artists, cultural institutions and partners supported by the BNP Paribas Foundation.
Residencies, workshops, professional encounters, projects at the Villa Médicis, artistic collaborations: all experiences that have helped broaden their horizons and enrich their journeys.
With these murals, we give visibility — on a large scale and at the heart of our cities — to those who wish to see our societies evolve, to those who carry with optimism the will to act for the common good. Today, it is a youth that builds itself, that dares, that succeeds, that we are shining a light on.
Isabelle Giordano, Head of Group Philanthropy and General Delegate of the BNP Paribas Foundation
Visible until August 31st, 2026 on the Avenue de l’Opéra, this mural invites every passer-by to look at young people with fresh eyes — eyes that see talent, hard work, commitment and possibility.