Cité internationale de la tapisserie – Aubusson

Located in Aubusson, the Cité internationale de la Tapisserie is an historic institution celebrating the art of tapestry weaving, deeply rooted in the region since the Middle Ages. The aim of this unique place is to preserve, promote and modernise the know-how of Aubusson tapestry, the embodiment of centuries of tradition. Classed as UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, Aubusson tapestry is far more than just a weaving technique: it’s a key to history and culture.

The Cité de la Tapisserie, inaugurated by French President François Hollande, opened its gates to the public on July 10, 2016, in the fully rehabilitated building of the former École Nationale d’Art Décoratif (ENAD) in Aubusson.

Deeply committed to the promotion of tapestry, the Cité has forged close links with the artistic world, working with several renowned creators. Among those artists who have left their mark on the world of French comics, Philippe Druillet occupies an important place. Born in 1944, this author and illustrator is one of the pioneers of science fiction comics. Druillet’s dreamlike, imaginative works have exercised an undeniable influence on contemporary graphic culture.

A new work of the illustrator will be exhibited to the Cité Internationale de la Tapisserie. The tapestry will be inspired by his comic strip ‘Salammbô’, a bold adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s novel bearing the same name. For the Cité, this is a unique opportunity to enhance its collection with a work of an artist who has left his mark on the history of the ninth art form.  Bringing these two worlds together – the ninth art and textiles – is a unique experience for the public. It highlights the Cité internationale de la Tapisserie d’Aubusson’s ability to reinvent itself and affirm its position at the crossroads between living heritage and modern creation.

Supported by the Fondation Rémy Cointreau, who shares its values of expertise, tradition and innovation, this project reaffirms the role played by the Cité d’Aubusson in preserving and passing on this know-how, woven from heritage and modernity.

Les Grands Ateliers de France

Since its creation in 1993, the association Les Grands Ateliers de France has been dedicated to preserve and promote traditional French arts and crafts. Every craft, every gesture, every creation embodies the quality and authenticity that characterise them. At the heart of the association’s commitment resides respect for France’s craft heritage and age-old know-how. It promotes excellence, authenticity, and the transmission of craftsmanship to future generations by adapting them to contemporary challenges.

The Grands Ateliers de France represents around fifty French craftsmen and workshops, including Master of Art and the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France. Among them we find Steven Leprizé and Mathilde Jonquière, laureates of the Fondation Rémy Cointreau. What all the craftsmen have in common is their know-how, their ethics, and their respect for materials.

By encouraging innovation, supporting creativity, and promoting cultural exchange, the association helps to ensure the development of French arts and crafts in a dynamic exchange. The aim is to raise their prestige in France and abroad. Nowadays, thanks to a renewed team, a new dynamic is emerging under the new chairwoman: Fanny Boucher.

In 2024, to celebrate its 30th anniversary, the association is hosting the Bel Ouvrage exhibition, bringing together 40 creators to showcase a hundred exceptional and unique pieces. All representing the know-how and excellence of French arts and crafts (with a particular focus on Arts Décoratifs and Collectible Design). The event will be held at the Orangerie du Senat, an emblematic French place, curated by Carole de Bona. From 28 August to 8 September 2024, the exhibition will welcome a diversified public with the purpose of transmitting and encouraging the renewal of know-how.

The Fondation Rémy Cointreau naturally supports Les Grands Ateliers de France with the Bel Ouvrage exhibition, as they share common values.

Lycée Vauban

Sculptors, coppersmiths, and goldsmiths are facing recurrent problems in the arts and crafts: the need for tools. Hammers and anvils are their main working tools: the hammer strikes the metal (copper, brass, pewter or silver, gold, etc.) placed on an anvil. Until the 1950s, all tools were ordered from blacksmiths, but nowadays they are becoming very difficult to find.

This situation affects not only professionals who are already well established, but also schools, whose are struggling to train their growing numbers of students properly. This is the case at Lycée Vauban, a public secondary school in Brest, part of the Rennes education academy. The school offers an Art section and a DN MADE (National Diploma in Fine Arts, Crafts and Design) in Metal Creation. Confronted with the problem of tooling, Michaël Poullard and Fred Barnley, a retired teacher at Olivier de Serres, decided to launch a project to create these tools for the school and, in the long-term, for the community of coppersmiths and silversmiths. Michaël Poullard has approached the Fondation Rémy Cointreau to develop this project.

Sculpting a wooden model is the first step in the creation of antique steel anvils and hammers. This first step was carried out by Fred Barnley and two students from Lycée Vauban. These durable models are used to create prints, also known as model boards. These moulds can be used over and over again to make anvils and hammers.

The collaboration is based on the creation of 6 model boards: 1 hammer and 5 anvils. Thanks to these moulds made by the foundry, it will be possible now to create a set of 45 anvils and 7 hammers.

This partnership would be carried out through the BAAM association (under the law of 1901), based at the Lycée Vauban. Its aim is to encourage and promote the exchange and diffusion of know-how, techniques, tools, and information relating to the metal arts and crafts, in particular copperware and goldsmithing.

Once the moulds have been produced, they will belong to the association, making them available to students and professionals.

The long-term aim of this project is to benefit the entire community of gold and copper sculptors: producing tools for students at the Lycée Vauban and producing tools for established professionals.

De L’Or dans les Mains

De l’Or dans les Mains is a non-profit organisation founded in 2021 by Gabrielle Légeret. The association was born out of a significant observation: too many craftspeople have difficulty recruiting as a result of young people’s unfamiliarity with their trades and know-how. Its aim is to restore reputation and value to manual trades by introducing the younger generation to the craft. Throughout the year, the association involves hundreds of craftspeople into secondary schools through a ready-made 15-hour programme, which has benefited almost 4,500 young people since its creation. These workshops enable a strong link to be forged between school projects and craftsmanship through manual workshops. The 2year programme can start in the 6th or 5th grade and is open to secondary school students from all social and geographical backgrounds.

Association De l’Or dans les Mains develops educational tools for young students and their teachers to help them understand and discover crafts. The “I’m discovering manual trades” educational booklet includes comic strips, games, exercises, glossaries, and a skills map. It’s designed to help children to explore craft trades in a fun and educational way. To help young and old to discover manual trades, the association has also given the mike to craftsmen and craftswomen, asking them to share their stories, their tools, and their gestures. These podcasts are produced in partnership with foundations, regions, schools and art and craft campuses.

Since its creation, the association has been working with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture to raise public awareness of the arts and crafts and to encourage people into them. The aim is to introduce crafts in school programmes, for example by including visits to artisans’ workshops in the Culture Pass. In May 2023, Gabrielle Legeret was nominated as the government’s youth coordinator for the arts and crafts plan. A role she believes in, to inspire young people to build the world of tomorrow with their own hands.

Fondation Rémy Cointreau has a long-standing presence in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, and it’s therefore natural that it will be joining forces with De l’Or dans les Mains to develop workshops in the region’s secondary schools. This support will enable 1,500 young people a year to benefit from the “I’m discovering manual trades” programme between 2024 and 2026.

L’Outil en Main

L’Outil en Main aims to introduce young people from the age of 9 to fine crafts. This initiation takes place in workshops and is guided by voluntary retired. The young people taking part of the workshops discover different trades throughout a year and create works of art with their own hands. In 2023, L’Outil en Main France has 240 associations with 6000 volunteers who welcomed 3700 young people every week all over France, including overseas.

The association promotes all manual trades among young people. More than 100 trades are represented in the workshops throughout France: tiler, carpenter, roofer, mason, metal worker, mosaicist, stained glass artist, plumber, stone cutter, pastry chef, industrial designer, photographer, etc. Through its action, L’Outil en Main opens up horizons to the youngest who discover the “intelligence of the hand” through a playful activity and plays a key role in attracting young people to manual trades. Years later, they will be able to choose a profession that meets their aspirations.

The young people are welcomed to the craftsmen’s workshop one afternoon a week during the school year. Each young person discovers several trades throughout the year: they make objects that they will be proud to take home or participate in the design of a work made with several trades. Through this fulfilling activity, parents offer their children the opportunity to discover their talents and develop their dexterity.

Théâtre National de Strasbourg

There are six national theatres in France. Among them, five are located in Paris: Comédie-Française, Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe, La Colline-théâtre national, Théâtre national de l’Opéra-Comique and Théâtre national de Chaillot.

The National Theatre of Strasbourg also called TNS, is unique because of its location in regions and because of its creative and committed approach to defend contemporary writing. It promotes diversity on stage and in theatres, making it accessible to everyone through its artistic and cultural education activities. This theatre is also unique because it hosts a Dramatic Art College created in 1954 by Michel Saint-Denis. It trains students in all aspects of the theatre (acting, directing/dramaturgy, set design/costumes and stage management/creation) with a pedagogical logic based on interdisciplinarity.

The School’s students are admitted after a competitive examination two years out of three. Two classes known as “Groups” are composed of 50 students. They have regular classes taught by permanent teaching staff, and workshops learnings directed by professionals.

Fondation Rémy Cointreau supports Théâtre National de Strasbourg through an itinerant performance-show project which aim is to promote the art of theatrical professions to a young audience. The objective of the partnership is to showcase and convey the theatre’s craftsmanship such as the costume designer or the scenographers, and to transmit these know-how to school students, particularly in the technical fields.

La Source

La Source is an association created by Elizabeth and Gérard Garouste in 1991. Its convictions are based on the idea that artistic creation can support social action in order to fight against all types of exclusion. In fact, the association is convinced that art contributes to the construction of every society and is a key development for children.

Established in 10 departments, it offers artistic practice programs for young people and sometimes for families. These programs concern all art fields and are led by artists in collaboration with a member of La Source’s educational team. They are set up for 10 to 12 participants, with the aim of providing individual support.

In fact, they enable young people to construct their personality through their creativity, through responsibility, self-confidence and spirit of initiative. It is in this sense that Fondation Rémy Cointreau has supported La Source.

Saint Eloi School

Saint Eloi school offers young people aged 15 to 18 a training course for the CAP and BMA French degrees, specialized in the Art of Jewellery. It is based on the pedagogical and educational project of the Production Schools or “Doing to Learn”.

This school is dedicated to young people who have difficulties with the traditional learning system. Social diversity is at the heart of the project and students are recruited on their motivation.

Placed in the reality of the professional environment, they work on real production parts entrusted by partner companies. These projects, which are extremely motivating for the young people, enable them to learn the current techniques used in jewelry workshops, to work on precious materials, and also to regain their self-confidence while training in an art profession.

Fondation Rémy Cointreau is deeply committed to the transmission of excellent know-how and supports the Saint Eloi School, which is involved in the durability of the fine craft professions, and particularly jewelry. This partnership takes place by helping students so that they can attend this apprenticeship.

Ville et Métiers d’Art

At the crossroads of economy and culture, the art crafts are marked by the diversity of their field of activity (glass, ceramics, textiles, metal, wood, instrument making, restoration of the built heritage…) and their economic and legal profile (craftsmen, VSEs/SMEs, factories). However, a common denominator unites them: the excellence of their know-how.

The association Ville et Métiers d’Art was created in 1992. It was the initiative of local elected officials who shared the same objective: promote the development and the transmission of exceptional know-how. This DNA is still the same today: the member communities of the association are committed to developing and promoting the art trades on their territory.

The members of Ville et Métiers d’Art are the communities that have applied for the eponymous label and have obtained it for 5 years. This high-quality label is an important promotional and communication tool for tourism. It is independent of any authority and has only been awarded to a hundred or so communities in 30 years.

By awarding this grant, the municipalities, inter-municipalities and metropolises undertake to encourage the installation of arts and crafts professionals in the city, to organize communication and promotion activities for arts and crafts, to organize events for the general public, to develop cultural tourism and to encourage awareness-raising activities for young people.

Fondation Rémy Cointreau and Ville et Métiers d’Art have a common objective: support and perpetuate the arts and crafts throughout France.

Comédie-Française

Comédie-Française is the oldest French company that is still very active in France. It was created in 1680, and represents the French excellence of this art. It has a rich heritage composed of classical and contemporary plays, archives, art pieces (paintings, sculpture), sceneries models, and costumes.

It represents more than 70 professions and 23 craftsman professions. Comédie-Française own its scenery and costume workshops. It is a real ecosystem acting for the preservation of cultural heritage.

Alceste’s costume

Comédie-Française has had a costume collection since the middle of 18^th Century. Among the historical pieces, the oldest one is Alceste’s, in Le Misanthrope from Molière. The costume is the original dated from the 1837 staging, ordered by the French king Louis Philippe, for the official opening of Musée de l’Histoire de France located in Chateau de Versailles.

The costume was created by Paul Lormier, a French costume drawer from the 19^th Century. This piece was inspired by the 17^th Century fashion. It is constituted of a jacket, a skirt, and a black velvet cape embroidered with scrolls in gilded metal blades flat or embossed. Today, this piece is weakened and requires an important decoration to be preserved and kept safely.

Comédie-Française and Fondation Rémy Cointreau

Fondation Rémy Cointreau wanted to support Comédie-Française in the restoration and preservation of this costume. This partnership is part of a desire to preserve intangible heritage and to pass on excellent know-how.

Campus Versailles

Today, fine crafts are in danger. The Academy of Versailles, CY Cergy Université and Château de Versailles, with Region Île-de-France, have created Campus Versailles in 2021 in order to protect craftsmanship. This school is an ambitious project. It welcomes students (35 for the first promotion) and raises awareness among the public about fine crafts and design, horticulture and landscape design, and gastronomy and tourism.

Its objective is about highlighting in France and abroad the excellence of French know-how. This campus is a real community centred around training organizations and their teachers, passioned students, craftsmen, and partners.

The Campus and the Foundation are gathered around the will to make exceptional know-how durable.  This commitment makes the Fondation Rémy Cointreau a great actor of the know-how transmission. It enhances the sector with a modern and innovative point of view.

CPAMAL

CPAMAL is a research centre composed of experts of projection, all passioned by art and design. The members of the team have studied at Ecole des Mines. They are international, multigenerational, and all have the will to dedicate their knowledge to research and innovation.

This « workshop » is specialised in heat spatter and realises consulting and research missions. CPAMAL responds to a demand from artists, craftsmen and designers, and guides its clients through a technical support and the training for the process of heat spatter.

The heat spatter is a process of a material deposit as microparticles, projected rapidly with high temperature. This process looks like the paint pulverisation but with all types of materials. The objective is about deposing the sprayed material on a support in order to form an aesthetic and a functional surface.

The process of heat spatter

The goal is about realizing the deposit of a material on all type of object. Before being projected, the material looks like fibre, powder or stick. An energy source will transform this material in liquid. This liquid is blowed and expulsed on the object. The particles are split and cover the object in order protect it.

Known since 2000, the process is used in traditional industries such as aerospace or automobile, in order to protect some mechanical pieces and make it resistant and durable. Plus, the exploration of all the quality of this process is not done, especially in crafts trades. The team of CPAMAL is making a lot of research and is creating its own bibliography applied to fine crafts. Until 2021, they had experimented this process on different types of supports. They did it on wood in collaboration with Steven Leprizé.

CPAMAL and Fondation Rémy Cointreau

Fondation Rémy Cointreau wishes to support CPAMAL in the development of the technology of heat spatter. Furthermore, it wants to support CPAMAL in the research of materials that can be projected, including recycled and upcycled materials. That is why it helped CPAMAL with the acquisition of a spray-blowtorch adapted to a large range of materials.

INMA

INMA or National Institute of crafts professionals is a public interest association leading general interest missions for the crafts professionals and the historical heritage sector. It is under the aegis of the French Cultural and Educational Ministry.

Its objective is about leading expertise missions to French public authority such as production of content, young talents promotion, education and sensibilisation, and valorisation of fine crafts professions and historical heritage sector.

The prize Avenir Métiers d’Art , Dispositif des Métiers d’Art, EPV certification label (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant) or Journées Européennes des Métiers d’Art, all are actions led by INMA for its plan of support and valorisation of the fine crafts sector.

The Prize Avenir Métiers d’Art

The prize Avenir Métiers d’Art has been organised since 2002 and has the will to encourage the next generation of professionals specialized in fine crafts. Indeed, the objective is about the valorisation of the young talents and their know-how, and the support of their entrepreneurship plan. This competition is split into three categories according to three levels of education: level 3 (CAP), level 4 (BAC PRO), level 5 (BAC+2, BTS, DN Made).

The 2021/2022 edition is going forward. It wishes to reinforce the link between the laureates and to develop the interactions and their professional network. But it also assists them in their academic and entrepreneurship plan.

Fondation Rémy Cointreau supports INMA for the creation and the development of its 20^th edition of the prize Avenir Métiers d’Art. As a part of the partnership, Caroline Martin-Rilhac, general delegate of Fondation Rémy Cointreau, is a member of the jury.

Schuch Productions

Schuch Productions is an independent production company. It produces documentaries, musical short films, art and cultural movies. It also develops digital educative projects supported by the French Ministry of Education, INSERN (health and medical research institute), or CANOPE network. This media counts as partners Arte, France Télévision, Musée d’Orsay, Musée Rodin, Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Institut National de l’Audiovisuel or Opéra National de Paris. It chooses to produce the well-made realisations plunge into intellectuals and artists thoughts, such as Anish Kapoor, Annette Messager or Mona Ozouf.

Anne Schuchman has created this structure in 2006, after a rich career specialized in audiovisual and multimedia. She took part of the development of the ARTE channel with the creation of ARTE Edition. Then, she continued her professional life at Institut National de l’Audiovisuel as a Production Director. She invested herself in all her experiences led by the idea to put the video as a real transmission and knowledge device.

Chercheurs d’Orgues

Schuch Productions’ new project is the realisation of a documentary titled “Chercheur d’Orgues”, in english “Organ Seekers”. This documentary put highlights on the biggest instrument of the world, the organ. The objective is about discovering around twenty instruments in ten European countries. This travel invitation makes the public finding out about organ specialists and their environment, and discovering the most prestigious European organists of the continent such as Lorenzo Ghielmi, Olivier Latry, Wolfgang, Andrés Cea Galan, Michel Bouvard, Bine Bryndorf, and so many others.

Expected for Spring 2022, these 90 minutes documentary is written by Bernard Foccroulle and Pascale Bouhénic. It is produced by Schuch Productions and co-produced by ARTE, with the support of CNC Distribution Telmondis. Its opening will take place in exclusivity on ARTE, and then will be broadcast on the same channel in 2022 into the Musica section in France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Austria. Then, it will be replay on the European platform in six different languages (French, English, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish). Afterward will start the international broadcasting with Telmondis. It has one of the best catalogues of cultural documentary and of top of the range danse shows and French Operas.

Schuch Productions and Fondation Rémy Cointreau

It is considering this context that the partnership between Schuch Productions and Fondation Rémy Cointreau was created. Indeed, with such a documentary, Anne Schuchman wishes to put in highlights the musical heritage for the public with a new image of this instrument and its connection to time and history. Furthermore, organ specialists have a special savoir-faire. According to INMA, “they conceive and restore instruments according to the different musical repertory: classical, contemporary”. Those transmission objectives and the documentary’s relation with time, heritage, and crafts, are all close to the Fondation Rémy Cointreau’s values.

Les Compagnons du Devoir

Les Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France is a public interest association called Association Ouvrière des Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France (AOCDTF).

More than just an association, it proposes unique training courses with the purpose to fulfill each apprentice in their learning and the mastery of their future job and know-how. Being a Compagnon is based on a philosophy led by the transmission value and the slogan “ni se servir, ni s’asservir, mais servir”, in English “nor taking advantage of, nor enslaving, but serving”.

A Compagnon is associated to travel considered as an essential step of the education training. In fact, this travel experience gives the apprentices the chance to change their city of living and their workshop of training, one to two time a year for three years. The Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France is encouraging the worldwide tour. It wants their apprentices to work with new techniques, by knowing a new culture and a new language.

The different know-how teach by the association are organized into four themes and two separate specialties:

• Industry with know-how as blacksmith or ceramist ;
• Technologies with know-how as founder or boilermaker ;
• Taste with know-how as baker or pastry chef ;
• Flexible materials with know-how as tanner or upholsterer seat ;
• Or training to become farrier or cooper.

The Compagnons du Devoirs has the vocation to adapt their level of requirement according to the demand of the professional world. It is attached to innovations and new technologies to make growth their know-how, always considering the transmission values. It is in this context that the partnership between the Compagnons du Devoir and Fondation Rémy Cointreau was created.

The digital and the Compagnons du Devoir: parametric pannel

The training specialized in parametric panel is a new program to teach panel with prototype software. The idea is about exploring all the possibilities given by a computer for the creation and the reproduction of panels or other special elements of a know-how. It may be an element of the framework or the realisation of a panel for a tanner.

The objective of this partnership is about encouraging Compagnons de Devoir to facilitate creativity’s apprentices in all trades with new contemporary and performant devices. This training is an initiation of the conception of an object with protoptype technique.

Fondation Rémy Cointreau supports the Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France with the creation of this new education program.

The Craft Project and La Bourse des Métiers Orphelins

The Craft Project is an association specialized in fine crafts. Co-founded by Raphaëlle Le Baud and Pierre Salagnac, its vocation is about promoting, gathering and supporting the fine crafts professionals by making this community live through social network.

The association wants to be a reference in the crafts sector with a double objective. On one hand, it wants to encourage craftsmen following their entrepreneurship process. On the other hand, it wants to touch the public by making the crafts sector more accessible and by kindling vocations.

It acts in favour of fine crafts professions with a podcast, with its web platform gathering a community and with a grant called La Bourse des Métiers Orphelins. It is through those three approaches the partnership was created between Fondation Rémy Cointreau and The Craft Project.

The Fondation Rémy Cointreau is proud to support the association The Craft Project in all the activities it develops. The idea of this partnership is to evolve and enhance the public access to heritage, French culture and fine crafts. Plus, the Fondation is the principal benefactor of la Bourse des Métiers Orphelins.

The objective of this grant is about giving the possibility to a student to learn a disappearing know-how with a master. Consequently, this approach also gives the possibility to a craftsman to make his know-how durable.

The first grant was attributed to Guillaume Catay. After his training at Etienne art school in Paris, this scholarship allows him to learn the gilder on paper know-how with Jean-Luc Bongrain, the last craftsman of this speciality.

Trousse à projets,“100% of f@milies connected”

Created in 2017, the Trousse à projets is a digital platform for financing educational projects, from nursery schools to high schools. In collaboration with, and approved by the French Ministry of Education, its mission is to support the education in schools in order to reduce inequalities and to transform this learning area in a meeting, a discovering and a sharing place for everyone.

The objective of such platform is about raising money in order to organize educational projects with a lack of financial funds. The donors are individuals or are companies’ initiatives. Those donations enable the realisation of cultural projects, the discovering of fine crafts, or the organization of school’s travel.

100% de F@milles connectées

Among the Trousse à projects’s projects, “100% de f@milles connectées” has been created since the beginning of the Covid pandemic in March 2020. This project was born from a clear analysis: the difficulty for schools, in France, to maintain their relationship with their students during the quarantine. This analysis is linked to the lack of IT devices in students’ house.

So, with the objective to overcome this problematic, the Trousse à projets and the French Ministry of Education wished to create “100% de f@milles connectées”, with the will to equip 10.000 families with IT equipment such as laptops, tablet computers, internet access, etc. The donations of this project are transferred from the fundraising platform to local and public establishment and to schools cooperative, for the helpless families benefit.

The partnership with Fondation Rémy Cointreau

With the mission to act in favour of their cultural, human, and environmental expression, Fondation Rémy Cointreau is associated with the Trousse à projets. It supports the program “100% de f@milles connectées” in particular, for professional schools and technical high schools preparing for jobs of tomorrow, in order to fight against academic disengagement and lack of numerical devices.

Talents et Violon’celles Association

The restoration of a Bernardel cello

The Bernardel family is a dynasty of instrument maker of which Auguste Sébastien is the first craftsman. Also known as Bernardel Père, he is considered as one of the finest Parisian instrument maker of the 19^th Century. In 1859, his two sons, Gustave and Ernest, became his partners. He has taught them his expertise and has handed them his business, Gand et Bernardel. When he died in 1870, Auguste Sébastien Bernardel left behind many instruments, particularly cellos. His work is characterized by high-quality wood, red-brown varnish, craftsmanship and tone.

Talents & Violon’celles association has approached Fondation Rémy Cointreau for the second time in order to restore a Bernardel Père cello donated in 2022 to the Talents & Violoncelles Endowment Fund. Such a project requires meticulous and in-depth work before it can be played by a student. For this purpose, two instrument makers were called in, Julien Bachelier and Guy Coquoz. The restoration will take place in the craftsmen’s workshops as well as in Maison Talents & Violon’celles, which will be a meeting place for professionals and the association’s young members.

This kind of support is in line with Fondation Rémy Cointreau’s commitment. It consists in ensuring the durability and the transmission of two trades: the instrument making and the restoration.

Maison Talents et Violon’celles

The association approached the Foundation for the first time to create Maison Talents et Violon’celles.  This co-working space is located in the 8^th arrondissement of Paris. This place is a way to transmit the association’s values.  It includes a workshop that welcomes an instrument maker in residency for several months, and a few rooms for lessons, rehearsals, master classes and other projects. It is a place for sharing, working and helping each other.

Talents et Violon’celles

Talents et Violon’celles is an association dedicated to safeguarding, conserving, promoting, and enriching the musical and cultural heritage of the French school of string quartet instruments. Founded in 2010, it acts as a fund of instruments loaned or donated by private individuals, aimed at young talents having difficulty equipping themselves. The fund contains fifty instruments, forty-two of which are on loan. Since 2010, the association has helped over sixty talented musicians.

Expertise and excellence, the fundamental notion of transmission and the heritage and cultural dimension are all values that drive this association, clause to those of Fondation Rémy Cointreau.

Ateliers des Maîtres d’Art et leurs Élèves

The Title of Maîtres d’Art Elèves

According to the French Ministry of Culture, a Master of Art is “a professional of excellence who masters a technique and an exceptional know-how. He is recognized by his colleagues for his experiences, his expertise, and his educational skills. He has to be capable of transmit his knowledge to a student to make his know-how durable”.

In order to face up to the abandonment of the craftsman professions and of their education training, the French Ministry of the Culture has created in 1994 the title of Maîtres d’Art et Élèves. This plan has the vocation to act for saving the immaterial heritage by valorising Masters of Art and by encouraging them to transmit their knowledge and their know-how.

The association of Les Ateliers des Maîtres d’Art et leurs Elèves

Created in 2002, the association of Les Ateliers des Maîtres d’Art et leurs Élèves (AMAE), in English, the Workshops of Art Masters and their Students, is working within the same approach than the french official title of Maîtres d’Art et Élèves, in English, Art Masters and Students. It has the objective to guarantee the transmission and the durability of exceptional know-how.

It works with different actors of their sector such as institutions and associations, in order to promote the excellence and the creativity of Masters of Art and their students. Accordingly, AMAE helps them to develop their workshop, to organise and to participate in conferences, fairs and exhibitions in order to put them in highlight.

Furthermore, since 2009, a solidarity found has been created to give craftsmen in need a hand.

Finally, the association is particularly invested in its sector because it participates to committees of reflexion about the future of fine crafts, and also because it works in collaboration with French Ministries such as the Ministry of the Culture.

Fondation Rémy Cointreau and the association Les Ateliers des Maîtres d’Art et leurs Elèves

Fondation Rémy Cointreau is pleased to support this association for the valorisation of exceptional know-how and their transmission, and consequently, for the development of the profession of Art Masters and their students.

Bureau du Design, de la Mode et des Métiers d’Art

The business accelerator Ateliers de Paris was created in 2005. It implements Paris policy in favour of artistic professions. This service guides the professionals in fashion, design and fine crafts, according to the development of their activities. Since 2005, a lot of missions and initiatives were added to the project, leading to the creation of a new identity for Ateliers de Paris.

Consequently, the Bureau du Design, de la Mode et des Métiers d’Art (BDMMA) was created. It includes the initial ambition of the Ateliers de Paris and all the appendix projects.

Among the BDMMA’s projects, three prizes are awarded to several professionnals: Label Fabriqué à Paris, Grands Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris and Prix Savoir-faire en transmission.

The Fondation Rémy Cointreau supports the Bureau du Design, de la Mode et des Métiers d’Art as the sponsor of Grands Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris and of Prix Savoir-faire en transmission.

The Fondation Rémy Cointreau is one of the main sponsors of Prix Savoir-faire en transmission

Previously Prix de Perfectionnement aux métiers d’art, the Prix Savoir-faire en transmission is awarded each year by the city of Paris. It helps apprentices being welcomed into a craftsperson workshop for a full-time year.

The objective is about showing to the laureates the specificities of their know-how and of a workshop organization.

Apart from this willing to encourage the young craftsperson in training, the idea is about encouraging the transmission values to guarantee the future of the know-how. All those values are cherished by Fondation Rémy Cointreau and are the heart of all the projects it supports.

For this prize, Caroline Martin-Rilhac, Delegate General of Fondation Rémy Cointreau, has been a member of the jury since 2018.

Fondation Rémy Cointreau supports Fine Crafts category of Grands Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris

The Grands Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris award each year the Grand Prix and the Prix Talent émergent according to three sectors : design, fashion and fine crafts.

The Grand Prix is awarded to a fine crafts professional already sets up in his sector. This prize rewards him for his entrepreneurship approach and his workshop development strategy. The transmission of his know-how is also rewarded, such as innovative projects.

The Prix Talent émergent is an encouragement dedicated to a fine crafts professional with ambitious projects. The objective is about pushing him going further into an entrepreneurship approach but also into a creative and innovative approach.

For this prize, Caroline Martin-Rilhac, Delegate General of Fondation Rémy Cointreau, has been a member of the jury since 2018.