MOPA in crisis: teachers write open letter
Feb 16, 2017 by CGP Staff
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“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)
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)
