A semester of study at prestigious London art school Central Saint Martins
Since the start of the 2019 academic year, LISAA Graphic Design Paris students have been able to follow a semester of the Digital Art Direction course in one of the prestigious international universities with which LISAA has established partnership agreements. Alice Blanc is one of a handful of students to have had this opportunity: for the past month, she has been studying at Central Saint Martins in London.
Central Saint Martins, a prestigious school
It is one of the most renowned art schools in the world, and arguably the most famous fashion school. Also known as CSM, it is a constituent of the University of the Arts London. A veritable pool of talent, the London school has trained some of the biggest names in 21st-century arts, from Stella McCartney and John Galliano to Lambert Wilson.
Particularly renowned for its Fashion curriculum, Central Saint-Martins also offers training in Graphic Design.
It is in this school that Alice Blanc, a student at LISAA Graphic Design Paris, has chosen to follow a semester. Since the start of the 2019 school year, the Parisian school has offered a handful of its students the opportunity to study in a foreign art school for one semester.
An enriching professional expérience
At just 21 years old, Alice Blanc is in her first year of the Digital Art Direction Master’s. When asked "Why Central Saint Martins?" she answers: "It is an excellent school, with an international perspective. It offers incredibly diversified courses in marketing, fashion, design... and even ceramics! At CSM, we don't just have one course category, we can dip into everything."
This unique experience offered by LISAA has enabled Alice Blanc to experiment with new techniques and discover other fields: "This experience brings me an even broader vision of the future possibilities open to me. For example, marketing was not part of my training but now that I am studying it, it makes me want to dive into it even more, and it’s the same for fashion, video and photography..." says the student.
A typical week in the London school is made up of two or three days of lessons and two “studio” days, during which students work on what they want, where they want. They have access to all the equipment, enabling them to fully accomplish their projects.
As Alice Blanc points out, "At Central Saint Martins, we are very free in our projects."
A unique life experience
Studying in London means adjusting to a very different pace of life to that of Paris—something Alice White has done successfully. At 8 am, she starts working by herself and then goes for a stroll in the famous London neighbourhood of Covent Garden, continuing to work on her projects in a cafe or with her friends. At around 2 p.m., she goes to school where she works with her classmates. "Many projects are done as a team," she explains.
The young student has had no trouble joining groups here: "Everything is geared up for this. Associations, organisations... Everything is set up so that you meet people through weekends, events, etc."
In a few weeks, Alice Blanc will return to Paris to finish the year at LISAA Graphic Design Paris. But, she says: "I have really fallen in love with this city, the school and the atmosphere there. I will return, for sure! For a weekend, a couple of months, or even a few years... who knows?"
Photo: 2019 Foundation Show, by Martin Slivka
