ENSAPC - École nationale supérieure d'arts de Paris-Cergy

What ENSAPC - École nationale supérieure d'arts de Paris-Cergy does

ENSAPC (École nationale supérieure d'arts de Paris-Cergy) is a French public higher education institution dedicated to contemporary visual and performing arts, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Cergy, Île-de-France. It offers a structured curriculum including the three-year DNA (Diplôme National d'Art), the ten-semester DNSEP (Diplôme National Supérieur d'Expression Plastique), and post-master's programs such as 'Art by Translation' in partnership with TALM-Angers. The school mandates that every DNSEP student complete at least one semester abroad through Erasmus+ and bilateral exchange agreements with 100+ partner institutions across 30+ countries.

The institution operates two primary sites: the main campus at 2 rue des Italiens in Cergy (studios, workshops, teaching facilities open 9h-21h weekdays) and Ygrec, an art centre in Aubervilliers inaugurated in early 2020 that hosts contemporary art exhibitions and emerging-practice programming. The school's technological and methodological orientation integrates artistic research with digital humanities, in collaboration with partners such as EnsadLab and OBVIL. Notable alumni include artists represented by major galleries (Kamel Mennour, gb agency) and exhibited at Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo, and the Pinault Collection, alongside founder of Senegal's Musée griot.

ENSAPC's business model is that of a French public institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, with tuition-free enrollment for all students (EU and non-EU) and funding drawn from the French state, the Île-de-France region, the European Commission (Creative Europe, Erasmus+), and DRAC Île-de-France. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The school's go-to-market motion is event-driven and community-led: portfolio-based competitive admissions, open-house events (portes ouvertes), international art fair participation (FIAC, Nuit Blanche), the annual Arts et Humanités festival, and ongoing alumni engagement via exhibitions and the Ygrec programming calendar.

Name

ENSAPC - École nationale supérieure d'arts de Paris-Cergy

Legal name

École nationale supérieure d'arts de Paris-Cergy

Website

https://ensapc.fr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ENSAPC is a French public art school founded in 1981, offering DNA and DNSEP degrees plus post-master's programs in contemporary visual, sound, performing, and literary arts. Funded by the Ministry of Culture, it serves aspiring artists through its Cergy campus and Ygrec art centre in Aubervilliers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cergy-Pontoise, Île-de-France

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public funding: ENSAPC is a French public higher education institution funded by the Ministry of Culture and Communication. The school receives operational funding from the French government, making it tuition-free for students. Additional funding comes from the Île-de-France region and European Commission grants.
2. European project funding: The school participates in Creative Europe programs and Erasmus+ mobility grants, generating project-based funding for international collaborations and artistic research initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ENSAPC is a French public art school that delivers contemporary visual and sound arts education through a three-year DNA undergraduate diploma and a five-year DNSEP national diploma, with all DNSEP students required to spend at least one semester abroad. The school also runs international post-master's research programs such as 'Art by Translation' and operates the Ygrec Art Centre in Aubervilliers as a venue for exhibitions, performances, and emerging artistic practices.

Product overview

ENSAPC is a French art school offering a comprehensive educational structure from undergraduate (DNA) through graduate (DNSEP) levels, with international post-master's programs including 'Art by Translation' and 'Moving Frontiers'. The institution operates the Ygrec Art Centre in Aubervilliers for exhibitions and events. The school emphasizes international mobility, with all degree students completing at least one semester abroad, supported by Erasmus+ partnerships and Creative Europe projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YGREC: The art centre of ENSAPC, dedicated to contemporary art exhibitions and emerging artistic practices
• Art by Translation
• Moving Frontiers

Products and services

• DNA (Diplôme National d'Art) Three-year undergraduate degree program in art, offered as the first cycle of French national art education, preparing students for further study or professional practice.
• DNSEP (Diplôme National Supérieur d'Expression Plastique) Five-year degree program culminating in the national diploma, with all students required to spend at least one semester abroad as exchange students or interns, supported by Erasmus+ and bilateral partnerships.
• Art by Translation International post-master's research and exhibition program in partnership with TALM-Angers, operating as a traveling research platform that investigates translation in the arts, with collaborative sessions held at international partner institutions including CalArts.
• Ygrec Art Centre ENSAPC's contemporary art center in Aubervilliers (29-31 rue Henri Barbusse), open to the public Wednesday to Saturday, 2pm-7pm. Hosts exhibitions, performances, and collaborative projects focused on emerging artistic practices, with events including SIDE QUEST, 'In The Shadows', and Festival Arts et Humanités.
• Moving Frontiers Past experimental post-master's platform examining artistic and theoretical limits, developed in partnership with Triennale SUD 2017 and Doual'art centre in Cameroon, focused on radical artistic, theoretical and political practices through intensive workshop spaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• All students complete at least one semester of international mobility during their studies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CY Cergy Paris University - Graduate School Humanities, Creation and HeritagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENSAPC is a partner member of CY Cergy Paris University Graduate School Humanities, Creation and Heritage, which brings together UFRs in Human and Social Sciences and 4 partner schools including the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Versailles, École nationale supérieure de paysage de Versailles, and Institut national du patrimoine. Supported by the Fondation des sciences du patrimoine, Ministry of Culture, and CNRS.
• École supérieure d'art et de design TALM-AngerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Art by Translation post-master's program, combining ENSAPC and TALM Angers in a traveling research and exhibition platform focused on translation in the arts.
• CalArts (California Institute of the Arts)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational partner for student and faculty exchanges. ENSAPC students have collaborated with CalArts on programs like Art by Translation, including sessions at CalArts with seminars, performances, and symposiums.
• MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational academic partner for research collaborations and student exchanges in the arts.
• Centre Pompidou (Musée national d'art moderne)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor French cultural institution partner for exhibitions, events, and professional integration of ENSAPC graduates.
• Palais de TokyomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContemporary art space partner for exhibitions and events, welcoming ENSAPC alumni work and collaborations.
• Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-DenismajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench university partner for research collaborations and academic exchanges in arts and humanities.
• Städelschule FrankfurtmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman art school partner for student and faculty exchanges.
• Le Fresnoy (Studio national des arts contemporains)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench national studio for contemporary arts partner for advanced training and collaborations.
• Villa Kujoyama, KyotomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench artistic residency in Japan that regularly welcomes ENSAPC trainees for artistic residencies.
• Art Explora FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench/Albanian foundation partner in the Creative Europe Culture.EUBalkans project for artistic dialogue between EU and Western Balkans partners.
• Galerie Kurimanzutto, MexicominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational gallery partner that regularly welcomes ENSAPC trainees for internships.
• Cinémathèque de TangerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational partner that regularly welcomes ENSAPC trainees for internships in film and cinema.
• Akademie der Bildenden Künste MünchenmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman art academy partner for joint projects including the 2026 Nuit Blanche collaboration 'Through a Glass, Darkly' between ENSAPC and the Munich academy.
• Abbaye de MaubuissonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArt center partner for exhibitions and events, co-hosted exhibitions with Ygrec-ENSAPC.
• DRAC Île-de-FrancecoreOthersRegional directorate of the Ministry of Culture providing institutional support and funding to ENSAPC.
• Théâtre de La Commune, AubervilliersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTheater partner for joint symposiums and events, collaborated on the Ângela Ferreira exhibition project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beaux-Arts de Paris: France's most prestigious national fine arts school, also in Paris and under the Ministry of Culture. Comparable on degree structure, tuition-free public model, and alumni outcomes in the French/international contemporary art world.
• École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs (ENSAD): Paris-based French national art school under the Ministry of Culture, offering DNA/DNSEP-equivalent programmes in design and visual arts. Most direct domestic comparable given shared ministerial oversight, tuition-free model, and student scale.
• Villa Kujoyama, Kyoto: French-funded international artist residency in Japan and a listed ENSAPC trainee placement partner. Comparable as a publicly funded platform bridging art education and professional practice through international mobility.
• École supérieure d'art et de design TALM (Le Mans / Angers / Tours): French art and design school partnered with ENSAPC on the 'Art by Translation' post-master's programme. Closely comparable in mission, public funding model, and focus on contemporary art practice.
• Le Fresnoy (Studio national des arts contemporains): French national contemporary arts studio in Tourcoing and a listed ENSAPC partner. Directly comparable as a publicly funded postgraduate contemporary arts training institution complementing DNSEP programmes.
• California Institute of the Arts (CalArts): Major US contemporary arts institution and a listed ENSAPC exchange partner, including joint sessions through Art by Translation. Comparable in research-oriented contemporary art pedagogy and international mobility programming.
• Städelschule Frankfurt: German fine arts school with similar tuition-free model, international exchange programme, and strong contemporary art reputation. A listed ENSAPC exchange partner and benchmark for European free-school art education.
• ENSBA Lyon (École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Lyon): Another French national fine arts school with DNA/DNSEP programmes under the Ministry of Culture. Comparable art-education model, but located in Lyon rather than the Paris region.
• Akademie der Bildenden Künste München (Munich Academy of Fine Arts): German state-funded fine arts academy and listed ENSAPC partner, currently collaborating on a 2026 Nuit Blanche project ('Through a Glass, Darkly'). Directly comparable tuition-free European fine arts model.

Peers

• Royal College of Art, London:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ensapc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ensapc
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/tags/ensapc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ensapc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ENSAPC - École nationale supérieure d'arts de Paris-Cergy