“On January 19, 2017, all that made MOPA one of the best educations in the world (…) has been broken, like a vulgar toy, by men with ties.”
After parents from MOPA students wrote an open letter to the CCI (The Arles Chamber of Commerce and Industry), due to the sudden layoff of Julien Deparis and the crisis the institution was plunged into, teachers from MOPA have signed a letter expressing their concern for the students and the school, strong support for Deparis and for the school’s independence from the CIPEN / CCI.
Here are some highlights from the text:
“This open letter (…) exists only to express great concern and a deep
sorrow. After the consternation and incomprehension, it’s convenient to
find a bit of lucidity to mention the catastrophic consequences of this
decision (…) We, the pedagogic team, have worked with passion and
devotion for the development of this school. Some of us have been
teaching here since its foundation. Due to this, we know full well all
that has been destroyed today. Taken by people who know nothing about
artistic creation, nothing about animation, nothing about its market,
nothing about its national and international actors, this decision has
blown into pieces one of the bastions of excellence in this domain.
It’s not just one man they have swept away, but all the coherence and
cohesion of a team orchestrated by he who was capable of reuniting
the competences and visions, technical and artistic, of each
one of them. Furthermore: they have destroyed a whole ecosystem about
which they know nothing (…) [the consequences] have been not
only local. It’s enough to see the immediate and strong reactions from
many big French and international studios, institutions, clusters and
organizations from the field. All, evidently, have been angered and
radically oppose the unjustified eviction of Julien Deparis. For them,
MOPA was a pool of talent to which they came to recruit because
they fully trust the high quality of the education offered under his
direction.”
“So, now they are going to make us believe that
nothing has changed. That we should continue as if nothing had
happened. (…) An old director has been recovered, and placed there
only to reassure students and parents (…) We say : no, under her
direction, the school has not reached the level of excellence it has
today ! No, she has not accomplished the international reputation [it
has] today ! (…) Today : it’s free fall ! Back to to 0.
Everything starts from scratch. Sure, we still have a school at Arles. But which
one ?”
“This letter has the intention of defending the students
and their future. [Of stating] to which point the school has been
destroyed by this decision. We will see the consequences in some time.
Today, a big part of the team of instructors has decided to quit. (…)
Some have already left (without having been replaced), others have
decided to wait until May/June for avoiding to penalize the students,
but they won’t be back next year (unless real changes take place).
(…) We say simply, with easy to understand logic, that the pedagogy
implemented under the direction of Isabelle Aubin and Julien Deparis is
no more and won’t be any more (…) Such a pedagogy takes a long time
to put together ! Many years. It’s the result of a wise alchemy. Today,
it’s been blown up due to the CIPEN and the CCI.”
“How sad for the students that did not deserve to be destabilized and see their
future compromised. (…) how sad for the whole city of Arles
whose image has been degraded by the loss of a cultural, artistic, and
economic pivot (…) we demand that the school MOPA is detached from
the CIPEN and the CCI. We demand that it finds its independence for
developing serenely and completely, headed by a competent and
professional committee, a constructive one and not a destructive one.”
“Lastly, we could not finish this letter without addressing our dear students
who are the first victims of this somber story… We think a lot
about you and we wish you a good road ahead with a radiant future !”
“Here lies the MOPA school we knew.”
The letter was signed by 41 of the 56 MOPA teachers. From those that didn’t
sign, 4 said they had signed the petition launched by the MOPA parents
committee on Change.org.
The full version of the letter in French can be found on Google.com.
(PDF)
For more information:
CCI’s press
release on Julien Deparis’ layoff and the director’s reply –
Radio RPA’s website (French)
Petition against the sabotage of the MOPA school at Arles – Change.org (French)
Isabelle Aubin’s (previous MOPA director) reaction – Change.org (French)
