The TALM School of Art and Design in France was created when three separate art schools in Tours, Angers and Le Mans merged in 2010. The move followed the introduction of the Bologna Process to streamline higher education across Europe. The new system required the three schools, previously governed by regional authorities, to become independent to be accredited to award higher education qualifications.  

With three campuses, TALM is the third biggest arts school in France with over 600 students and 145 employees, including 105 teachers. 

Located in Tours, Angers and Le Mans, three cities in and around the Loire Valley in north-west France, TALM is one of the region’s biggest cultural higher education providers. 

Our purpose is to serve the community by:

• providing higher education for art and awarding Licence (Bachelor’s), Master’s and, soon to follow, doctoral degrees:
  • TALM awards two French qualifications: the DNA (Diplôme National d’Arts Plastiques, a three-year undergraduate degree in plastic arts) and the DNSEP (Diplôme National Supérieur d’Expression Plastique, a five-year postgraduate degree in artistic expression). These are delivered as an Art course (with options in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage – Sculpted Works specialism; Sculpture; and Textile Techniques) or a Design course (with options in BAD Design; Computational and Mechatronic Design; Sound Design; and Design and the Environment);

• building partnerships with regional academic and cultural institutions such as universities and other higher education providers;

• helping to develop higher education in our region and being involved in the communities of universities and institutions (COMUE) to which we belong;

• building a network of international partners through the Erasmus+ programme and other international initiatives;

• organising exhibitions, conferences and meetings to raise the profile of current artists and affairs in the field of contemporary art;

• contributing to national consultation between art schools in order to anticipate and coordinate higher education in the arts sector;

• undertaking art research, already underway at TALM for several years, and introducing a third cycle of art education (in progress at TALM);

• providing a wide range of lessons for children and adults in the community, including painting, drawing, sculpture, history of art, photography and fire arts. More than 1,000 people attend these lessons at our three sites. 

TALM has a highly-skilled staff of teachers – including artists, designers, architects, photographers, video makers, digital arts specialists and conservation and restoration experts – and support teams, such as admin, HR, international relations and communication.