Higher education program

FAI-AR offers a two years higher education course, preparing students to become creators and producers of artistic projects in public space. Every two years, a class of around fifteen students is selected to take the course.

Teaching is provided in France and occasionally abroad, with the aim of giving students the skills to manage a professional creative project as a creator and artistic director. It especially focuses on the specifics, constraints and opportunities associated with choosing to do art in public space.

The teaching approach is cross-disciplinary and collaborative, combining theoretical, methodological, technical and primarily artistic content.
Two years of study leads to an institutional diploma as an “author for public space”, alongside a Master’s in “Arts et Scènes d’aujourd’hui – écritures scéniques en espace public”(Arts and Scenes Today – Scriptwriting for Public Space) (Master 2), in partnership with Aix-Marseille University.

Videos of higher education program


 

Course objectives

In the context of contemporary developments around artistic creation in public space, this course questions the ways in which dramaturgy, scenography, relationships with audiences and staging can draw on the performance context and, more particularly, the variations provided by public spaces, including urban, peri-urban, natural and industrial.
The two years of the course have different objectives and content:

The first year is geared towards acquisition of the knowledge, skills and know-how required to work as an artistic assistant on projects in public space.
The second year goes further into artistic research, preparing students for team management and developing a professional career as a creator and producer of projects in public space.

Learning outcomes

Extend knowledge of the arts and artistic creation in public space

  • Build analytical capacities and critical vocabulary
  • Develop a professional perspective and artistic practice
  • Understand the cultural, political and symbolic issues associated with art in public space
  • Understand public spaces as places of staged performance
  • Understand and experiment with the relationship with audiences and populations for arts in public space
  • Understand the technical challenges, standard practices, regulations and safety rules associated with performances in public space

Locate your artistic discourse and analyse your practice

  • Expand your practice by connecting with other disciplines
  • Master the technical vocabulary and basics of new artistic practices and techniques
  • Position yourself in the field of contemporary artistic research
  • Analyse your experimentation and creation protocol

Work as an author of an artistic project

  • Carry out fundamental artistic research
  • Write and design a narrative or performance for public space, develop the dramaturgy of your artistic project
  • Define the scenographical and technical needs of an artistic project

Work as a producer of an artistic project

  • Know how to build a working team for a creative project
  • Design team supervision and project management methodologies
  • Set up the organisation and technical management for a creative project
  • Ensure that you and others stay safe, and manage venue and equipment security
  • Develop independence and adaptability

Promote your skills and build your career

  • Know how to position yourself professionally and determine your career strategy
  • Determine your artistic production and dissemination strategy
  • Maintain knowledge of your socio-professional and technical environment
  • Grow and extend your professional network in Europe and internationally.

Course organisation

The course is spread over two years, corresponding to four university semesters. Teaching is given, in part, in Marseille at the Cité des arts de la rue where FAI-AR is based, and, in part, in partner venues in France and occasionally internationally.

The first year is primarily dedicated to collective artistic teaching and research, which is occasionally shared with partner art schools.
This includes:

  • Theoretical teaching primarily provided by teachers from Aix-Marseille University during the first semester
  • Artistic practice workshops, which aim to equip students and focus on specific techniques or issues, such as the role of the body in public space, working with sound or staging.
  • Practical modules, to apply the fundamentals discussed in workshops by various collective role-playing exercises.
  • Artistic research modules,which can be individual (fundamental research) or developed around a specific approach or topic proposed by a teaching artist (creative research laboratories).

Creative research laboratories

Creative research laboratories use artistic role-playing in a collaborative framework around a topic or professional practice, developed from previously established work instructions. This tests knowledge and teaches practical understanding by confronting theory with practice. Here, learning is based on sharing an experience and a research process, rather than on “ways of doing things” and the aesthetics of the artist teachers. There are 3 to 5 creative research laboratories for every year group, each lasting 2 to 3 weeks, under the supervision of recognised artist(s), at the Cité des arts de la rue, or at partner venues elsewhere in France or internationally.

Following on from the first year, which mainly features collective and cross-disciplinary modules, the second year focuses on each apprentice developing a personal creative project.
This project is designed as a training process, positioning the apprentice as creator and manager of a project for public space. From the first director’s statement to presentation of a draft performance of the project at the end of the course, each student works to establish a team, build a production and organise residencies by working with professional partners.

Combined with independent work, teaching provided in this second year includes:

De modules d’accompagnement au développement du projet personnel de création : écriture d’une note d’intention, dramaturgie et essais performés, production et fiche technique…

  • Modules to support development of the personal creative project: drafting a director’s statement, dramaturgy and performance tests, production and technical data sheet, etc.
  • Modules focused on the professional development of project managers: making a budget, production scheduling, dissemination, etc.

Assessment

The FAI-AR course leads to a double qualification:

  • An institutional diploma recognised in the professional sector, covering all course teaching,
  • A Master’s degree, “Dramaturgie et écritures scéniques en espace public” (dramaturgy and scriptwriting for public space), issued by Aix-Marseille University, based on the part of the higher education programme for which ECTS credits are awarded (around 1,400 hours).

All of the higher education modules are assessed.
Depending on the objectives of each teaching unit, assessment is carried out by those best qualified to observe the results, whether teachers, panels, tutors or the teaching coordination team.
Assessment methods may vary depending on the teaching, and include continuous assessment, written assignments, interviews, reports, oral presentations and performances.

Team teaching

Overall coordination of the higher education course is provided by the FAI-AR permanent team, which designs programmes and content, monitors the class collectively and individually, and draws up periodical reports.
Module teachers are working or teaching artists and professionals. They consist of a mix of regular partners, closely linked to the FAI-AR project, and occasional teachers with unique and tailored experiences.


See all the teaching team

Testimonials from teaching team

Nathalie Pernette, Robin Decourcy, Christophe Modica, Céline Naji et Léa Dant talk about their experience at the FAI-AR.


Professional and teaching partners

Since 2019, all apprentices on our higher education course are also enrolled in the Master’s degree “Arts et scènes d’aujourd’hui : écritures scéniques en espace public” (arts and scenes today – Scriptwriting for public space) at Aix-Marseille University. This double qualification consists of:

    • Theoretical teaching, mainly in the first semester, assessed by three assignments or reports and a written exam;
    • A shared dramaturgy experimentation workshop with students from the Master’s degree not taking the FAI-AR course, in the second semester;
    • Writing of a research thesis at the end of the course.


Professional partnerships outside Marseille

Marseille is FAI-AR’s primary location, but some of the course takes place elsewhere. In total, the time spent outside Marseille can represent up to 4 months of the entire programme. This time is organised in partnership with professional partners and host venues across France so that apprentices can work under professional conditions and start to structure their professional network.

Since 2015, the apprentices were welcomed in several creation and diffusion places:

But also by companies and artistic teams :


Educational partnerships

The higher education course also includes partnerships with other professional higher education institutions. These partnerships can be one-off or long-term, and they enable targeted experimentations and shared teaching that facilitates collaboration between students from complementary disciplines and backgrounds.

Since 2015, teaching partners included:


Internships and residencies

As part of their training, the apprentices have several weeks of internships and residencies.
Find below the places which, since 2019, have welcomed the apprentices.



See the map in full screen

Students on our higher education course are called apprentices in reference to the Bauhaus school in Germany. Around fifteen are accepted every two years, selected on the basis of a competitive admissions procedure.

Apprentice profile

This course is designed for artists wanting to develop their professional skills for collaborating on, creating and producing artistic productions in public space:

  • artistic creators: directors, choreographers, visual artists, scenographers, writers, set designers, etc.
  • performers: actors, dancers, musicians, circus performers, etc.
  • urban and rural professionals: architects, urban planners, landscapers, designers, etc.

Apprentices are united by a desire to learn more about project management and their interest in public spaces and issues. Classes are varied both in terms of disciplines and levels of experience.
This diversity, combined with teaching on artistic collaboration, encourages mutual development, travel and the invention of hybrid forms.

Course schedule

This FAI-AR course is a full-time higher education programme (35 hours per week). It is demanding and requires significant personal investment.
Working while enrolled in the programme is not recommended. Please be reminded that the course requires a period of travelling (3 weeks) and each student must regularly present work from personal assignments.

Apprentice holiday periods:

  • Christmas holidays (2 weeks)
  • one week per semester
  • two months in the summer (July-August) between the first and second year.

 

Testimonials from former apprentices

Watch the testimonies of former apprentices in six videos of a few minutes each.

Apply to joint the next class


The next classe of higher educational program at FAI-AR will take place from early September 2025 to late June 2027 and will consist of fourteen apprentices selected through a competitive process.

The competition has been open since September 18, 2024!
You have until January 17 to submit your application.

Before applying, please read carefully the educational dossier (in french), which you can download from our website.

In it, you will find all the information related to the higher educational program and its admission process (apprentice profiles, eligibility requirements, training costs, training schedule, teaching methods, etc.).

Selection process

Candidates are selected by a jury through a two-phase selection process:

  • Phase 1: selection based on application,
  • Phase 2: interviews and artistic auditions, held in person at FAI-AR.

At the end of phase 1, the candidates selected by the jury are invited to participate in phase 2. The jury is composed of members of the educational team (educational supervisors and trainers), representatives from Aix-Marseille University, and professionals from the field.

The second phase of the selection consists of:

  • An artistic audition, where candidates present a free piece (10 minutes),showcasing their skills in their area of expertise,
  • An improvisation exercise based on a prompt (5 minutes),
  • An oral interview with the jury (45-60 minutes),
  • An administrative interview to review the candidate’s situation.

Key dates

  • September 18, 2025: application form available online
  • January 19, 2025: application submission deadline
  • February 3 to 7, 2025: phase 1 – selection jury based on application
  • February 10 to 12, 2025: announcement of candidates selected for phase 2
  • March 17 to 21, 2025: phase 2 – interviews and artistic auditions at FAI-AR
  • From March 24, 2025: announcement of candidates selected for the 11th cohort
  • September 2025: start of the 11th cohort

Learn about the training program

To best support you in your application process, the educational team offers several in-person and online meetings. These events are an opportunity to meet the educational team, learn more about the competition, the training program, and ask any questions you may have.

Professional Meeting
📅 Wednesday, October 2 – 4:00 PM
📍Le FAB – Salle Bellevue (Fabrique Pola – 10 quai de Brazza)
👀 Free 👉 Register

Masterclass – With Karelle Prugnaud
📅 Saturday, October 5 – From 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM
📍Les Ateliers Frappaz, CNAREP – Villeurbanne
👀 14 euros (lunch included) 👉 Register

Online Information Session (in French)
📅 Wednesday, October 9 – 6:00 PM
📍Online – ZOOM
👀 Free 👉 Register

Online Information Session (in English)
📅 Wednesday, October 23 – 6:00 PM
📍Online – ZOOM
👀 Free 👉 Register

Online Information Session (in French)
📅 Wednesday, November 6 – 6:00 PM
📍Online – ZOOM
👀 Free 👉 Register

Open House and Masterclass with Pierre Pilatte (Cie 1Watt)
📅 Monday, November 25 – From 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
📍FAI-AR, Cité des arts de la rue – Marseille
👀 Free 👉 Register
(Detailed information to come)

Stay Informed

To stay informed by email about updates regarding the next competition (2024), feel free to fill out the form below.

For any questions or requests, you can also contact us via email at concours@faiar.org or by phone at 04 91 69 74 67.

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    Accessibility / Disability: FAI-AR takes disabilities into account and does its best to adapt the training programs to your needs. If you require any accommodations (training, schedule, equipment, specific personnel, etc.), please contact Chantal Vasseur, our disability coordinator, at the following address: accessibilite@faiar.org.