ÉSACM Clermont Métropole

Presentation

ÉSACM is the public art school of Clermont-Ferrand, affiliated with Clermont Auvergne Métropole. As an institution of higher education under the supervision of the Ministère de la Culture, it awards the DNA (bachelor's level) and the DNSEP (master's level), diplomas conferring respectively the grades of licence and master.

Orientation

The school is centred on a single option Art, with no specialisation in design or communication. This configuration fosters a generalist curriculum in which students move between mediums: painting, drawing, sculpture, three-dimensional work, photography, video, sound, performance, publishing and writing, installation, as well as digital practices.

The pedagogy relies largely on individual project supervision, studio work and the workshop, with significant emphasis placed on writing, theory and the construction of a critical discourse on one's own work.

Research

ÉSACM is particularly recognised for its commitment to art research. It has developed a research framework welcoming, beyond the diploma curriculum, artists, researchers and recent graduates around collective multi-year programmes. This dimension permeates the teaching and sets the school apart within the landscape of French art schools.

Context

Located in a university city with an active cultural fabric, the school works with local contemporary art venues and offers Erasmus+-type international mobility. The teaching staff are, for the most part, practising artists, theorists and critics.