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What was your path before joining IESA?
I knew I wanted to work in events but could not afford a private school. At the same time I wanted to go to university, so I did a bachelor’s degree in law and political science at Université Panthéon Assas Paris 2. After that degree I was finally able to join IESA and I am very happy to have a university/private school path.
Why did you choose the Master in Performing Arts Production?
I joined IESA as part of a master’s in culture careers. Events appealed to me and I met an IESA student while I was working on the Japan Expo festival. We talked about the school, I sent an email that same evening and the following week I took my entrance test, if memory serves. Everything went very fast, a bit on impulse, but it was the added value of a cultural environment and the internships that made up my mind, along with Ms. Schmitt, who found me an internship even before I enrolled!
Can you tell us about one or more internships that marked your path at IESA?
Even before classes started I was already interning at the Marché Paul Bert Serpette at the Saint-Ouen flea market. I did 3 internships there, of varying length, mainly in event management and administrative support. I also interned for the Compagnie Acta Fabula as an event project manager and in general stage management. I was able to handle incredible events, notably at the Châteaux de Fontainebleau and Compiègne. These two years of internships still resonate with me today since they enabled me to be hired as assistant director at the Marché Paul Bert Serpette, a position I left at the end of 2013, and I continue to work for Acta Fabula as an intermittent performing arts worker.
Today I organize flea market tours for IESA for students of the Bachelor in Art Expertise and Art Trade.
I did not do internships at many organizations, but I have not left those places since.
What did IESA bring you?
A revelation about what I love to do, what I am capable of, and about the fact that I really love working. IESA gave me my sources of income for the last 4 years, and experience. Finally, it may sound cliché, but I changed a lot in two years at IESA. Before, I was incredibly shy, and even though I still am a little, I was pushed to my limits and I am no longer the same person.
What are you doing today, what are your plans?
I am looking for work today!
I left my job at the flea market a little over a year ago to achieve two dreams: traveling and taking art history courses. I spent a total of 5 months in Asia in particular (including 5 weeks in Japan) and completed a first year of an art history bachelor’s degree by correspondence. I do stage management for the Compagnie Acta Fabula when they need me and I trained on the Adobe suite to create new communication materials for them.
While waiting to find stable employment again, I devote all my time to my association, Walking Art. I volunteer to help several festivals, I put together exhibitions, I help artists and above all I am running the fourth season of Koko to Asoko.
Koko to Asoko was my final-year project. It is an art contest on a Japanese theme (Japanese art toys this year) with an exhibition at the Japan Expo festival (about 250,000 visitors) in July. There is also live painting at my exhibition booth, an exhibition by professional artists and this year 3D printing.
Since the contest is popular and lets me work with Japan-related companies, I never stopped and the project is gaining more and more weight with the support of POSCA, for example.
Koko to Asoko in a few words:
- Contest from February 20 to May 20
- Selection of 15 works by a jury of professionals
- Exhibition of the selected works at Japan Expo from July 2 to 5 with visitor voting to choose the winners.
- Live painting with, exclusively this year, the manga artist Reno Lemaire, a professional exhibition, 3D printing via Bagel Lab, many partners and prizes.
- Finally, it is also €150 donated each year to a charity, Japanese until now, Nepalese this year, Horses of the Wind.