Mentorship programme 2023
EDITION 2023
Printed Territories
With 40 years of experience in education in image making and theory, the École nationale supérieure de la photographie in the heart of Arles, the emblematic French city of photography, opened its international mentorship programme in 2022.
The programme is aimed at artist photographers with a professional practice, consolidated over several years, wishing to benefit from in-depth support for their artistic approach.
Starting from a review of your professional career and your artistic practice, you will be guided in giving a new direction to your creative projects, to look at them with a critical eye, to develop their implementation, and to strengthen your technical skills and your knowledge of the world of art and photography.
This individual and group work is led by Gilles Saussier, artist photographer and teacher at the ENSP, with the support of various guests.
This second edition of the programme, which will be held in French and English from the 23rd of January to the 7th of April 2023, will be punctuated by two Masterclasses, led respectively by Sophie Ristelhueber and David Campany, and will offer a time for reflection and practice around the printed space.
Throughout the mentorship, you will be invited to transpose one of your photographic works into the space of a printed editorial object, the book being one possibility amongst others.
Lectures on the history of print as well as more contemporary productions will address specific conceptual and technical issues, enriching discussions and nourishing the participants’ reflections in the development of their editorial projects.
The educational objectives of the mentorship are:
- to reinforce your professional positioning
- to improve your capacity to articulate the direction of your research and your artistic practice
- to strengthen your autonomy in your practice and the structuring of your workflow
- to give a professional dimension to the diffusion of your work
- to experiment different methods of valorisation and use of space
- to develop an artistic vision at the crossroads of different practices
- to structure the layout of a photographic book with InDesign
Over three months, the mentorship combines various periods of experimentation, training, sharing and individual and collective follow-up. It includes in particular :
→ Two Masterclasses
Workshops over three days each with the mentors, including discussion and practice around their work
→ Three critical seminars
At regular intervals, these seminars led by Gilles Saussier support the progress of your thinking around your work and your artistic research through critical feedback, theoretical or technical references, and personalized advice.
→ A professional training module on the photographic book with InDesign®
This module allows you to apply for the TOSA Digital certification in InDesign®.
→ Training in the use of the school’s resources and technical equipment
These training sessions are a prerequisite for the autonomous and secure use of the school’s resources during the mentorship.
→ Group workshops in the Fablab
Rooted in research, the Fablab is a space open to all for exchange, experimentation and innovation, allowing a questioning of the image in all its complexity. A workshop on bio-photography is proposed to the participants.
→ A final restitution
At the end of the course, participants are invited to publicly present the progress of their research and their project to the ENSP team and students. The presentation is followed by an evaluation of the training.
Some training courses are provided in French, others in English.
The ENSP issues a training certificate to all those who complete the programme.
Prerequisites
Candidates must :
- demonstrate a committed artistic practice, in any artistic discipline related to the image, which has already been shown in exhibitions, publications, etc.
- be fully autonomous in the digital processing of images
- be able to follow and participate in exchanges in French and English
There are no restrictions related to qualifications, age or nationality.
The selection of participants will be made on the basis of the candidate’s application dossier.
The application dossier
To be uploaded onto the ENSP admissions platform
The application dossier is made up of the following documents in French or in English:
- a letter of intent presenting your motivation and your expectations in relation to your research and/or your production and projects that could be developed during the mentorship (3 pages maximum)
- an artistic dossier demonstrating your practice which can include audiovisual, photographic or sound content, etc. (maximum file size 10 mo, including all visuals and links to video platforms where necessaire)
- a CVa scanned copy of your passport or national identity card
Selection criteria
- an appreciation of your artistic journey
- the quality of your artistic dossier
- your motivation and the relevance of the research to be considered as part of this mentorship
The cost of the programme is 3500€ (inc VAT)
The Mentorship programme does not lead to a Diploma, however it is eligible for funding for professional training for participants who have acquired training rights in France. We can offer funding advice to those in this category.
Anyone who has acquired training rights in France can request partial coverage of the cost of training through their personal training account (CPF) or from their OPCO (AFDAS for photographic authors).
Arles is renowned for the wealth of its architectural heritage. Several Roman and Romanesque monuments are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites ; the Roman Amphitheatre, the AntiqueTheatre and the Saint Trophime cloisters are just a few examples.
You will also find a rich and diverse artistic and cultural life in Arles. Several publishing houses, numerous festivals, including “Les Suds à Arles”, three museums, two theaters, a contemporary music concert hall, numerous galleries, an annual programme of readings, concerts and recitals, two cinemas, two ferias, as well as a number of artistic training establishments – all contributing to the artistic and cultural life of the city throughout the year.
The international reputation of Arles for photography, thanks to the “Rencontres d’Arles” and the “Voies Off” festivals which take place every year during the summer, as well as an important photographic collection at the Réattu museum and, of course, the presence of the Ecole nationale supérieure de la photographie (ENSP) is both established and cutting edge.
Finally, the municipality of Arles is characterized by its size: with an area of 72,000 hectares, it is the largest in France. Its territory encompasses three exceptional natural spaces: the Alpilles, the Camargue and the Crau. It is strongly marked by the presence of the Rhône which crosses the city centre and whose delta forms the Camargue.
The tourist office website (www.tourisme.ville-arles.fr) offers various accommodation solutions. In particular, you can download guides for hotels, holiday rentals, guest houses, residences, youth hostels, group accommodation or camping.
