École supérieure d'art et de communication de Cambrai

What École supérieure d'art et de communication de Cambrai does

École supérieure d'art et de communication de Cambrai (Ésac Cambrai) is a French public higher-education institution (EPCC – Établissement public de coopération culturelle) located in Cambrai, Hauts-de-France. It delivers state-recognized art and communication diplomas — the DNA (three-year undergraduate degree) and the DNSEP (five-year master's-level degree) — to an annual cohort of approximately 40 students, supported by 31 staff. Its core academic infrastructure includes a Fab Lab and digital-fabrication equipment (photogrammetry, 3D printing, screen-printing, risography, video), with no disclosed AI/ML component.

The school's business model is that of a publicly funded cultural-cooperation establishment: it charges no tuition and is financed by grants from the Ville de Cambrai, Région Hauts-de-France, État-DRAC, and CCI Hauts-de-France, with additional resource access provided through partnerships with BnF, Opéra de Lille, Phénix Valenciennes, Frac Picardie, UPHF, ESAD Valenciennes, and Belgian institutions (CARAH, UMONS). Revenue mechanics therefore consist of multi-party public subsidies plus in-kind cultural-institution contributions, rather than commercial sales.

Academic output is structured around research-creation programs (Ateliers Recherche & Création, Retour aux sources, Hyper.Local) and culminating cohort exhibitions, positioning Ésac as a small, regionally anchored platform for emerging artists within the French public art-school network.

Name

École supérieure d'art et de communication de Cambrai

Legal name

École supérieure d'art et de communication de Cambrai

Website

https://esac-cambrai.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ésac Cambrai is a French public art and communication school (EPCC) in Cambrai offering state-recognized DNA and DNSEP diplomas to approximately 40 students per year, funded by Ville de Cambrai, Région Hauts-de-France, État-DRAC, and CCI Hauts-de-France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambrai

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public funding: Ésac is an EPCC (Établissement public de coopération Culturelle) funded by multiple public entities: Ville de Cambrai, Région Hauts-de-France, État (Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles Hauts-de-France), and Chambre de commerce et d'industrie Hauts-de-France.
2. Entrance examination fees: Admission and entrance examination fees charged to applicants, with specific fees for different sessions (e.g., 50€ for second session of entrance exam).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ésac is a French public higher education art school delivering the three-year DNA (Diplôme National d'Art) undergraduate program and the five-year DNSEP (Diplôme National Supérieur d'Expression Plastique) master's-level program in art, graphic design, visual arts, and communication. The school supplements these diplomas with research-creation workshops (ARC), open-source tools research (Retour aux sources, Open Open), and territorial research (Hyper.Local), and supports students with exhibitions, conference series, and partnerships with regional cultural institutions.

Product overview

École supérieure d'art et de communication de Cambrai (Ésac) is an art and communication school offering two main degree programs: the 3-year DNA (Diplôme National d'Art, undergraduate equivalent) and the 5-year DNSEP (Diplôme National Supérieur d'Expression Plastique, master's equivalent). The school supports these core programs with research structures including ARC (Ateliers Recherche & Création) workshops, the 'Retour aux sources' research program on digital tools, and 'Hyper.Local' territorial research. Annual events like 'Décortiquer la commande' (conference series on client projects) and the biennial 'Open Open' symposium on open-source tools complement the curriculum. The school is an EPCC public institution jointly managed by the City of Cambrai, Hauts-de-France Region, State (DRAC), and Chamber of Commerce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DNA - Diplôme National d'Art Three-year undergraduate degree in art (equivalent to Licence) covering graphic design, visual arts, and communication, with each year organized around a thematic focus such as 'Un monde réel' (A Real World).
• DNSEP - Diplôme National Supérieur d'Expression Plastique Five-year master's-level degree in plastic arts and expression, comprising two years of master's-level research and creation culminating in a thesis and exhibition, with each cohort following a thematic focus such as 'Dialogues' (2026).
• Atelier de Recherche et Création (ARC) Research and creation workshops exploring artistic domains such as ARC Arts Scènes Médias, ARC Opéra, and ARC Phénix, with experimental artistic projects often presented at partner cultural venues.
• Programme Retour aux sources Research program focused on digital tools, collaborative platforms, and free/open-source software in art education.
• Hyper.Local Research initiative exploring local artistic practices and territorial innovation, including study days and cross-border projects with Belgian partners.
• Décortiquer la commande Annual conference series in which Year 4 (Master 1) students organize a program of lectures by graphic designers presenting their client projects from initial brief to final deliverables.
• Open Open Biennial two-day symposium on collaborative free and open-source digital tools in art education, bringing together educators and practitioners from art schools in France and Belgium.
• Préparation au concours d'entrée Annual workshop (typically held in February) preparing candidates for entrance examinations to art schools, with intensive training sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate with 6 DNSEP graduates and 16 DNA graduates in 2026

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CROUS Hauts-de-France (Cambrai)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with CROUS (student housing and dining organization) for exhibition space in the university restaurant. Students create installations visible in CROUS facilities as part of their academic projects, addressing themes like feminist struggles and social issues.
• Frac Picardie (Fonds Régional d'Art Contemporain)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Regional contemporary art collection institution for student exhibitions and 'Hors les murs' (off-site) projects, including 'Ping-Pong' exhibition series and student work displays.
• Phénix, Scène nationale ValenciennescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026National stage (theater/performance venue) partnership for ARC Opéra research-creation projects and student performance exhibitions.
• Opéra de LillecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Opera house partnership for student exhibitions and performed installations, including 'Post-Enfance' and 'Alter Mater|Mater Alter' projects.
• BNF (Bibliothèque nationale de France)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for 'Dessinez Créez Liberté' workshop with Trophée Presse Citron at the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
• Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (UPHF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Host institution on the Cambrai campus, providing student facilities and collaboration opportunities for various academic projects.
• ESAD Valenciennes (École Supérieure d'Art et de Design)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Interreg project partnership for cross-border design experimentation. The 'Sur le pouce' project focused on public space usage and food culture in the French-Belgian border region, involving approximately 40 students.
• CARAH (Centre pour l'agronomie et l'agro-industrie du Hainaut)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Belgian partner in Interreg project for agricultural and agro-industry research combined with design experimentation.
• UMONS (Université de Mons) - Faculté d'architecture et d'urbanismeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Belgian university partner in Interreg project bringing architecture and urban planning perspectives to design research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• La Cambre (ENSAV La Cambre, Brussels): Leading Belgian art school in Brussels offering equivalent higher-education art and design programs. Geographically comparable for cross-border French-Belgian student mobility and Interreg-style collaboration.
• ECAL (École cantonale d'art de Lausanne): Renowned Swiss cantonal art school offering bachelor's and master's programs in art and design. Comparable degree structure (BA/MA equivalents of DNA/DNSEP) but with stronger international brand and larger faculty.
• KASK School of Arts (Ghent): Belgian public art school offering fine arts and design programs at equivalent degree levels. Relevant cross-border peer given ESAC's existing Interreg partnerships with Belgian institutions.

Direct peers

• ESAD Valenciennes (École Supérieure d'Art et Design): A nearby French public art school in the same Hauts-de-France region. ESAD is explicitly identified as an ESAC partner on the Interreg 'Sur le pousse' project, making it the most directly comparable peer in terms of size, governance, and curriculum.
• ESA Dunkerque-Tourcoing: Another French public fine arts school in the Hauts-de-France region offering DNA and DNSEP programs. Closely comparable in size, public EPCC-style governance, and curriculum focus.
• ESADHaR Le Havre-Rouen: A French public art and design school offering DNA/DNSEP programs. Highly comparable structure (multi-stakeholder public governance, regional focus, similar program portfolio) with a slightly larger footprint.
• HEAR (Haute école des arts du Rhin): Public French art school based in Strasbourg/Mulhouse offering equivalent art and design degrees. Comparable public-institution structure and degree offerings (DNA/DNSEP-equivalent), with broader program scope.
• ESADSE Saint-Étienne: A French public école supérieure d'art et de design in Saint-Étienne with comparable program portfolio (DNA/DNSEP) and research-creation activities. Similar regional positioning and public funding model.

Broad incumbents

• ENSAD (École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs): National-level elite Parisian art school. Operates in the same broad space (higher-education art and design) but at much greater scale and prestige, with a wider portfolio of specializations and stronger brand for placement.
• Beaux-Arts de Paris: Prestigious national fine-arts school in Paris. Comparable in offering advanced art degrees but with substantially larger scale, broader program scope, and national/international student draw.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/%C3%A9cole-sup%C3%A9rieure-d'art-et-de-communication-de-cambrai

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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