Careers
Careers
One of the key teaching objectives at Villa Arson is to prepare students for the world of work.
Unlike with engineering or medicine, which require a degree to practice professionally, no diploma is needed to become an artist; a creative’s legitimacy comes from the recognition of his or her peers. As such, it is fundamental for the school to help students, right from the start of their studies, to build coherent and authentic foundations to boost their fulfillment and guarantee a rapid and successful arrival in the creative world.
Our teaching projects are conceived in partnership with numerous public and private bodies: museums, art centers, festivals, national venues, theatres, foundations, artist studios, galleries and businesses in France and abroad.
In addition to access to project spaces, and workshops and galleries dedicated to production and experimentation, Villa Arson also offers its students the chance to experience every stage in the lifecycle of an artwork: from conception to production, exhibition, promotion and presentation to the public. Each student thus gets a grounding in other professions tied to artistic creation: curating, exhibition management and production, cultural mediation and so on.
Today, the school offers several schemes to support students’ transition to life after graduation, including a workshop on producing and installing exhibitions, a program of encounters covering the administrative aspects of an artist’s daily practice, and an exhibition program specifically dedicated to Villa Arson graduates, which is held in the art center’s galleries.
To monitor the prospects of its graduates, Villa Arson conducts annual surveys on the professional integration of its alumni, with the support of the Observatoire de la vie étudiante et de l’insertion professionnelle at the Université Côte d’Azur.
During your studies
To prepare students for the realities of life after graduation, our careers module brings together a wide range of perspectives, outlines possible professional paths and addresses the challenges and stakes of “becoming an artist”.
Launched in 2021 by exhibition manager Alexia Nicolaïdis, and in close collaboration with the association Dos Mares (Marseille) and other guests, the careers module is obligatory for 3rd-year students (and optional for 4th-, 5th- or 6th-years). The program includes six sessions on the basics of professional practice, focusing on the following themes: the general landscape of artistic activity; key steps in creating an artistic enterprise; showcasing and promoting your work; mobility and financing art projects; intellectual property; and the economic model of an artistic practice.
Beyond the chance to meet alumni, the module also offers sessions on rights, managing your practice and promoting your work, helping students to gain knowledge of the milieu, greater autonomy, and the ability to develop projects that will be firmly anchored in the artistic ecosystem. The art center team is involved in implementing this scheme. In parallel, as part of our calls for applications, students are recruited throughout the year to undertake work managing and guiding exhibitions.
Internships are a key step in each student’s training program, representing a first immersion into the professional world; from the second year on, students are invited to undertake an internship at an institution or business, or in an artist’s or artisan’s studio, depending on their particular training path.
After graduation
The graduation show
Since 2021, Villa Arson has organized an annual autumn exhibition dedicated to the previous year’s graduates. Participating artists benefit from the support of a guest curator and production, promotion and engagement teams to present their works at the art center. They can also access financial aid from the school to produce new works and display them in optimal conditions. This presentation is accompanied by meetings with art world professionals.
Graduate follow-up
Villa Arson has set up a post-graduate or “sixth” year which allows twelve graduates selected on the basis of their proposed projects to access workshops and production tools, and to benefit from the presence of artists-in-residence and professionals invited to Villa Arson. On request, the school can provide graduates with production support during their participation in exhibitions and/or entrance into competitions, to help boost their professional recognition.
The “Rouvrir le monde” (“Re-opening the world”) initiative
Villa Arson is a partner of “l’Eté culturel 2023 — Rouvrir le monde”, a scheme run by the DRAC PACA in the framework of the Été culturel 2023 run by the Ministry of Culture. Recent Villa Arson graduates share their insights into their ongoing creative process on a two-week residency devoted to creation and knowledge-sharing. They develop their practice with diverse audiences in local community settings (leisure centers, holiday villages, social centers, retirement homes, hospitals).
Miramar network, École(s) du Sud
Villa Arson has been a member of Miramar since its creation in 2021. This network of academic, artistic and cultural players aims to support the professional development of young artists and art workers, notably through a residency program. Led by Écoles du Sud, in tandem with Dos Mares in Marseille, this Mediterranean-wide collaborative scheme offers alumni (graduates of the final three years) and young artists from partner countries the chance to meet, talk and collaborate.
Scholarships and awards
In tandem with our partner institutions, we offer numerous schemes to support alumni and smooth their entry into professional life. These prizes, residencies and scholarships include: the Prix Marguerite et Méthode Keskar; the “Rouvrir le monde” scheme; 100% L’EXPO at La Villette; the Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation scholarship; and the Prix L’Écho des cimes. In addition, since 2022, and linked to schemes initiated by the direction de la culture d’Université Côte d’Azur, emerging artists can access ANR funding (the IDÉES program); Villa Arson graduates frequently benefit from this scheme. The juries that award these prizes feature national and international players.
