To nourish and develop its programs and to integrate its students into an innovative dynamic of cultural content and practices, IESA arts&culture has created Applied Research Centers in four major areas: international contemporary cultures, careers and skills in the cultural sector, digital innovation in cultural and educational mediation, and the links between culture, ethics, and politics.

Coordinated by the school’s director, it comprises four main departments specialized in the international cultures of Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.

Their role is to:

  • integrating international cultures into the school’s programs,
  • developing partnerships with French and international institutions, academic or professional,
  • support students in carrying out group or personal projects.

The international departments thus coordinate:

  • Introductory or specialization cycles in international cultures integrated into the various IESA arts&culture programs (introductory course for all Bachelor 2 students, specialization course for Master 1&2 and professional masters),
  • Inviting international professors and artists, whether or not they live in France, for master classes and the exhibition series “1 artist, 1 work” within the school,
  • Lecture series on the dissemination of international cultures or intercultural dialogues in partnership with international or French institutions (Maison de l’Amérique latine, École nationale des chartes, Université Paris-Sorbonne, Tsinghua University, Hubei Institut of Fine Arts, Madiba Leadership Institute in Dakar, etc.),
  • IESA arts&culture’s international projects for 2017-2018 abroad (Wuhan urban art festival, exhibition as part of the Dakar Biennale) or showcasing international cultures in France (exhibition of Colombian artists in Paris as part of the France-Colombia year),
  • The major annual reflection cycle of IESA arts&culture. For the 2017-2018 year, this cycle, titled “Stolen Memories, Migrant Memories,” will reflect on the notions of culture and heritage, starting from the questions raised by stolen or displaced works,
  • Creating lasting projects abroad. This year, the Africa department is opening a bachelor’s program in arts & culture with the Madiba Institute in Dakar. Several projects are under way in Latin America and Asia to develop an international network of IESA arts&culture programs that will eventually allow students to easily complete part of their studies on different continents.

Heads of departments:

Coordinated by the head of the school’s professionalization department, it makes it possible to evolve the skills frameworks that structure IESA arts&culture’s programs. It is the bridge between the professional world and the school and its students. By engaging in discussions with the various players in the artistic and cultural sectors, it:

  • analyzes changes in professions, professional practices, and the related skills
  • coordinates the courses on discovering professions and sectors within the school’s programs and leads students' group projects on this subject
  • makes proposals for integrating developments in these sectors into the teaching of the school’s various programs
  • proposes the creation of new training tracks or new specializations
  • supports students in reflecting on their professional projects
  • coordinates the school’s post-training year, which allows students to make a successful transition between their studies and their entry into professional life, particularly when they plan to create their own company

Digital innovations are changing the possibilities of mediation practices in the arts and cultural sectors but also in education. IESA arts&culture’s Applied Research Center in this field therefore feeds both the evolution of the school’s teaching practices and the evolution of mediation practices in the projects carried by students. Thus, it:

  • analyzes technological developments and their possible applications in mediation and education;
  • coordinates the teaching on these developments across the school’s various programs, and particularly in mediation and communication;
  • makes proposals to integrate these developments into the teaching of the school’s various programs;
  • proposes the creation of new programs or new specializations to train specialists in this field for the cultural sector, or professionals using these new practices to develop new types of cultural projects;
  • supports students in their personal projects that put these innovations into practice.

Head of the Applied Research Center: Régine Djalo - r.djalo@iesa.fr

The Applied Research Center in Culture, Ethics, and Policy is tasked with reflecting on the place of culture in our contemporary societies, particularly within local authorities, but also on how cultural institutions approach major societal issues. This positioning of culture is at the heart of the IESA arts&culture project, which positions itself as a responsible player in the cultural sector in the face of societal challenges. As such, it:

  • coordinates the team of instructors working in the sociocultural and digital mediation track,
  • develops courses for the cultural project administration and management programs,
  • develops professional training offerings (in-house/inter-company) for businesses and cultural institutions as well as for local authorities,
  • organizes an annual conference on specific themes related to its fields of expertise.

Head of the Applied Research Center: Florence Berthout – f.berthout@iesa.fr