Esä

Esä, L’école supérieure d’art | Dunkerque-Tourcoing, is the highly regarded French art school with campuses in Dunkerque and Tourcoing, less than 50 miles as the crow flies from The Margate School. Through our partnership with them, we offer students an accredited European Fine Art Masters, expanding opportunities across Europe to alum.

With an ethos aligned with TMS, this Anglo-French partnership presents innovative approaches to art education with collaborations and visits between the Schools. French language sessions feature as part of the European Fine Art Masters course and students and artists also participate in the School’s community outreach programme and arts events, with opportunities to form connections within the area and further afield.

The final assessment, Diplôme National Supérieur d’Expression Plastique (DNSEP), occurs at Esä’s Dunkirk campus.

Esä is a member of 50° North, the cross border network of contemporary art, ANdÉA, the National Association of Art Schools and Polaris, the Magnetic network of public art schools in Hauts-de-France and has around 300 students across the two campuses.

As partners, TMS and Esä’s technical resources are mutually available to both school communities.

Visit: esa-n.info

Thierry Heynen Director General, Esä

After completing his mathematics and physics baccalaureate (Bac C) in 1984, he pursued his artistic journey at the Regional School of Fine Arts in Rouen. In 1989, he obtained his DNSEP Art.

He also studied at the University of Paris 1 / Saint Charles, earning a DEUG and a License in Plastic Arts by 1988. In 1990, he had an artist residency at the El Shona Art Centre in Egypt.

Thierry has been working in Higher Education since the early 90’s, most recently as the director of ESADHaR before becoming the Director General of the École supérieure d’art | Dunkerque-Tourcoing in September 2021.

In 2018, he pioneered the “RADIAN” doctorate in artistic research and creation in collaboration with prestigious institutions. He also established partnerships with international institutions.

From September 2019 to August 2021, he served as Vice-President of the Community of University and Establishments (ComUE) Normandie University, overseeing Student Life, Culture, and Communication.

The Margate School is inclusive, caring, generous and like nothing I’ve ever seen. The building and the community gives 24/7 and not just when the doors are open.

Being a queer, non binary female, person of colour I feel safe and respected by the whole community and also comforted to see so much representation and diversity in the building from students, lecturers, guest lecturers and so on.

Zara Truss Giles, Student