Passing the competitive exams for art schools
The Art Foundation course enables students to develop their creativity and general artistic knowledge. The course requires a steady pace of learning and rigour in the quality of work produced. Students can follow this course in English.
A pedagogy adapted to all projects
The Art Foundation course consists of a common core for all students, composed of all the essential artistic disciplines, such as contemporary drawing and life drawing, history of art and photography. It is completed by an option (art, design, photo/video, fashion/textile design, architecture/scenography/space) that students choose at the beginning of the year. This additional specialism enables them to further a particular technical skill and learn all of its specifics.
Intensive preparation for competitive exams
Teaching intensifies from January onwards. In addition to following classes, workshops and viva exams, students benefit from:
- Mock competitive exams
- Writing workshops (help with writing statements of intent and personal statements)
- Lectures led by teachers, directors of studies or directors of grande école art schools
- Art and design workshops
In addition, each student is accompanied by a file director who helps him/her in the development and follow-up of the artistic file presented at the competitions.
Atelier de Sèvres prepares students for the best art schools: Beaux-Arts (Paris, Lyon, Nantes...), Arts Déco (ENSAD), HEAR (Strasbourg & Mulhouse), ECAL (Switzerland), Central Saint Martins (UK), La Cambre (Belgium)
A busy schedule
The art foundation course is a very intensive year which requires a great deal of commitment on the part of the students. The timetable at Atelier de Sèvres combines theoretical instruction, intensive practice of various artistic disciplines, preparation of an artistic dossier and preparation for the entrance examinations to the major art schools.
A year in three stages: acquisition of the fundamentals, artistic portfolio and preparation for the competitive examinations
From September to mid-December, the students of the art foundation course acquire the fundamentals of representation techniques, develop their creativity and their general culture. This first term is punctuated by classes, subjects, reports and corrections, and ends with a presentation before a jury in order to evaluate the student's progress.
From mid-December to the end of February, the students concentrate on the creation of their artistic portfolio. This will be presented to the juries of the grandes écoles during the entrance exams. Students in the art foundation can use the work they have done in their option/specialisation. The art foundation students are also accompanied by a file manager until the end of the year.
From the beginning of March to mid-May, the art foundation students put the finishing touches to their artistic portfolio and take mock exams (written and oral) with a test situation. In the run-up to the competitive examinations, the timetables of art foundation students are adjusted in order to meet the final demands (covering letter, meeting with the artistic portfolio director, etc.).
27 hours of classes per week
A typical week at the Atelier de Sèvres represents 27 hours of classes, which is very dense considering the personal projects developed by the students in parallel. Their work does not stop there, however, as it is important for them to get out of the house, go to exhibitions and learn by reading, going to the cinema, the theatre, exchanging with their peers, etc.
specialisations
WORKSHOPS
Atelier de Sèvres comprises 2,500m² of spaces dedicated to creation. Students work in creative workshops that then become exhibition spaces when their projects are finished. Atelier de Sèvres provides students with a photography/video studio equipped with cutting-edge technical equipment, as well as a construction workshop and an engraving studio. These self-service tools enable students to shape their creativity and projects as they wish in an ideal setting.
