Numerous young artists studying at MOPA who are seeing their career prospects sabotaged by the recent events, as well as their concerned parents, are seeking a way out of the crisis the school has been immersed in after the CIPEN (Cluster of Pedagogic and Digital Innovation) and the CCI (The Arles Chamber of Commerce and Industry) laid off director Julien Deparis, which resulted also in the departure of several instructors. Students have reported the loss of 12 hours of school in the past week for both 2nd and 4th year students, according to French journal La Provence.
120 parents have signed an open letter addressed to the president of the CCI, seeking to put MOPA back on its tracks, bringing back the teachers that left the school, returning the pedagogic team to its previous state and putting forward plans to separate MOPA from the CIPEN, creating an independent institution with a management that has the interests of MOPA at its center, among other goals. The letter states: “Mr. President, rest assured of the total determination of parents [who are] worried about the professional future of their children, and who are financing their studies.”
Signals of a possible solution are fortunately surfacing, as more people in the city of Arles are becoming aware of the situation. La Provence reports that the mayor of the city, Hervé Schiavetti, among other local authorities, are seeking ways to bring the parties together to build a constructive solution for the students, the school and the teachers, and to protect the quality and reputation of MOPA.
Note to MOPA students and their parents: we encourage you to send us news about how events unfold. Helping give a voice to your situation is a priority for us.
