(Updated) La Provence newspaper reports that The Arles Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized a meeting last Monday that was attended by representatives from various local industries as well as 50+ MOPA students, accompanied by their parents, and that the speeches given at the meeting did not refer to the delicate situation the school is going through. According to La Provence, the students complained that the intervention of CIPEN and CCI in the middle of the school term shows a total disregard for the students’ education and that “it’s not true that the courses develop normally, around twenty lecturers have left” after Deparis was laid off, and that means less hours being taught. The parents in turn mention that they “don’t understand the brutality of the decision” (referring to the sudden layoff of Julien Deparis) and that it resembles a “political execution”. A meeting is eagerly awaited for this weekend by the students, their parents and also by certain teachers, who are still waiting for satisfactory answers to the problems the intervention has brought to the school. More on LaProvence.com. (French)
MOPA students consistently produce each year, with the assistance of their teachers, some of the best animated CG short films. The school, formerly known as Supinfocom Arles, can easily be counted among the top 3 in the world. That’s why it’s particularly surprising to witness a situation in which such a prestigious school seems to be thrown gratuitously into a crisis. Julien Deparis has been the Head of Studies at MOPA since 2009, helping the school grow successfully, and took the position of Director in 2015, after the departure of Isabelle Aubin. The CIPEN (Cluster of Pedagogic and Digital Innovation) and The Arles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI du Pays d’Arles) have laid off Deparis in the middle of the school term without disclosing the reasons, causing anxiety and strong reactions from students, alumni, CG artists from French studios, student families and even the previous school director.
A petition has been launched by the MOPI committee, which according to its text, is composed of MOPA students and their parents. The petition “against the sabotage of the MOPA school” has more than 1500 signatures, with many comments expressing support for Julien Deparis’ work and concern about the future of the school. It can be found on Change.org. (French)
More information and reactions can be found on the coverage from 3DVF (part I–part II), LaProvence.com and Annecy.org. (French)
