École supérieure d'art et de design des Pyrénées – site de Tarbes

Presentation

The École supérieure d'art et de design des Pyrénées (ÉSAD Pyrénées) is a public institution of higher artistic education under the supervision of the Ministère de la Culture, born from the merger of the art schools of Pau and Tarbes. It operates across two complementary sites: the Pau site, more oriented towards design, and the Tarbes site, dedicated to the Art track.

Programmes

In Tarbes, the curriculum begins with a shared preparatory year, followed by preparation for the Diplôme National d'Art (DNA), equivalent to a bachelor's degree. The school also offers a second cycle leading to the DNSEP, conferring master's degree status. Admission is through an entrance competition (application file and interview), via the Parcoursup platform for the first year.

Strengths

The teaching combines studio practice, artistic culture and project methodology, with the individualized guidance characteristic of human-scale art schools. Students work in technical workshops supervised by assistants: volume and materials, image, photography, video and sound, publishing and print practices, digital tools.

Guidance is provided by practicing artist-teachers, theorists and critics. The school develops partnerships with cultural organizations in the region (exhibition venues, stages and festivals) as well as international exchanges under Erasmus+, and organizes exhibitions, workshops and meetings with invited professionals.

Graduates move into artistic creation, mediation, teaching, image and exhibition-related professions, or further studies.