About Cours Florent Acting School

A few words about the school:

Constantly evolving to keep abreast of developments in contemporary theatre and cinema, the school has never stopped reinventing itself and perfecting its teaching approach and methodologies. Our core mission is to provide students with all resources necessary to develop their own unique artistic personalities, and prepare for careers in the modern professional entertainment world.

The list of our alumni is as long as it is impressive. From Isabelle Adjani to Gad Elmaleh, from Pierre Niney, Isabelle Carré, Guillaume Canet, Audrey Tautou, Edouard Baer to Marina Hands… They have all trained at Cours Florent.

With a founding philosophy that embraces cultural openness and international visions, identity-based exploration and inclusive practices, we have for more than 20 years been welcoming students from all over the world to our international programs. In the decades since its inception, students from over 45 countries have chosen to study here.

A word from Simone Stricker, School Principal 

At Cours Florent, you will learn how to observe the world around you and be fully present in the infinite moment that is hic et nunc, here and now, and to react in the most honest and creative ways possible. You will need to be resolute and respectful and willing to work hard intellectually, emotionally and physically in order to push through your perceived limits whilst taking care of yourself. 

Our international department is a diverse and wonderful environment where students from more than 30 different countries around the world gather to learn and create. You will collaborate on a daily basis with a multitude of cultures and skill sets. You will be challenged to understand and to be open to differing viewpoints. 

 Mission & Pedagogy

At Cours Florent, we provide students with all the necessary tools and skillsets to discover their own unique vision.

       1. Our Mission 

To discover and secure ones niche in the modern theatre and film industries, aspiring artists must be versatile, disciplined, and resourceful. At Cours Florent, we encourage students to explore and expand their potentials through: 

• Development of critical thinking skills, artistic analysis, and sense of play, through an innovatively structured pedagogical approach
• Enabling students to explore all the various aspects of their chosen artistic field, by offering a large variety of courses and professional networking opportunities
• Preparing students to become artistic creators and producers, thanks to project-based pedagogy and school-sponsored events

At Cours Florent, we strive to give our students all the tools they need to discover their unique talents and flourish. Here, generations of passionate aspiring artists have turned their dreams into reality. And just as the world of performance continues to evolve, so does our pedagogical approach, Adapting to each student, to new ideas, mediums, and methodologies. Our program is rigorous and demanding. Students are required to challenge their limitations and commit fully. To allow and encourage the discovery of unique and dynamic modes of artistic expression 

We encompass all dimensions of the Performing Arts. By providing a solid working method and strong core values, We provide our students all the resources necessary to thrive in the artistic field of their choice.

        2. Our pedagogy: 

57 Years of Expertise

In 1967 François Florent envisioned a new way to teach performing arts. He developed a structured and demanding approach to explore, discover, and nurture the unique talents and abilities of each student. While concentration on personal development is paramount, the program also emphasizes ensemble work, and the collaborative nature of the art form(s), stressing the individual’s responsibility to the group, and the group’s responsibility to the individual. 

To best prepare our students for the ever-evolving world of cinema, theatre, and electronic media, we have never stopped questioning and improving our pedagogy and methodologies. We believe in a hands-on approach, learning-through-doing, strong classical and theoretical underpinnings, rigorous and regular assessment, and highly personalized instruction by theatre and film professionals.

A Structured and Demanding Approach

At Cours Florent, we are as demanding of our students in their training as the industry will be of them as professionals. To reflect this, our teaching methodologies are constantly evolving in concert with developments in the field.

• A rigorous, methodical approach, punctuated with regular assessments, or “Echéances” - each designed to guide students through discovering and developing their own unique artistic personalities
• A teaching faculty of working professionals in the theatre and film industries - Each member of the pedagogical team brings unique real-world perspective and experience to the training
• Regular performance opportunities, masterclasses, and workshops.

Our team:
Teaching Staff:

• The teaching faculty are all working professionals in the theatre, film or music industries, and have extensive background as scholar-practitioners. They have trained and studied at some of the most respected institutions in the Anglophone world and Europe. 
• Academic diversity enriches the program. Each instructor brings his or her unique artistic sensitivity and experience to the training, broadening the scope of the program. Students take classes with a variety of teachers during their 3 years at Cours Florent, allowing them to benefit from different artistic points of views on their work.
• Our recruitment process is scrupulous: we seek out and work with experts/specialists in their fields: acting, voice, danse, improvisation, composition, etc. …

Directors of Studies:

Each section of training has a dedicated Pedagogical Responsable, in charge of:

• Developing and updating the program: To keep abreast of, and meet requirements for, tomorrow’s industry.
• Serving as liaisons between students and faculty: academically, artistically, and pedagogically. Their role is to evaluate the work of students during exams (échéances) and help curate the educational experience at Cours Florent in order to provide a supportive, equitable, and challenging atmosphere. 

Industry professionals:

• Regular meetings and masterclasses with industry professionals where students can introduce themselves and gain insight into the professional casting process.
• Professionalization modules, specifically designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the industry. These modules equip them with the tools they need to navigate the competitive world of the arts, preparing them for a seamless transition from the classroom to the professional stage.
• Access to the Casting Office (for French speakers). Because of the school’s reputation and celebrated alumni, throughout the year, the office receives numerous requests from casting directors, production companies, artistic agents, and theatre and film directors looking for talent. The Casting Office maintains a database of all Cours Florent students who register.

Life at Cours Florent:

Lectures and Masterclasses:

Throughout the year, students are provided the opportunity to attend lectures and masterclasses with professionals in the theatre and film industries. This opportunity to interact and network with a broad and varied base of industry experts is a vital part of their professional and artistic development. They may:

• Be inspired by the variety of possible artistic paths thanks to exchanges with our guest artists (many of whom are Cours Florent alumni!)
• Discover the many different fields and opportunities in the industry: playwriting, lighting, stage direction … 
• Forge an artistic culture: analyze a film or play, dive into the history of the entertainment world to better understand how the industry works... 

Students who are fluent in French can also attend all the lectures in French.

A flexible schedule:

To allow for the greatest degree of flexibility, students have the opportunity to choose which time slot to attend their core interpretation class: Noon, Afternoon or Evening. This allows:

• To make room for a student job: 35% of our students have part-time student jobs to finance their studies. 
• To pursue a parallel university degree: 20% of our students are enrolled in other academic programs. 
• To pursue a salaried job: 15% of our students have full-time jobs, generally opting for evening classes (7:30-10:30 pm).

Pursuit of outside artistic projects is encouraged, supported, and expected, but commitment to studies and preparation is required and necessary to succeed.

Artistic Events throughout the year:

Cours Florent organizes a variety of school-wide events throughout the year where students meet, share ideas, work, and lay the foundations of their future professional and artistic networks. These events are arranged for the whole school as well as specifically for the International Departments.

• Automnales: This annual festival gathers the best plays, productions, and devised projects of our third-year students. Over the course of 10 days, the walls of the school are covered with posters of shows! The public is invited to presentations that run around the clock.
• International Events: to celebrate key moments in France and foster stronger bonds between students, such as the French tradition of “Galette des Rois” or the International Evening at the beginning of the school year. Students are invited to actively participate in the exchange by preparing performances!
• Florent’s Night: An iconic moment in the life of our school! Each year, all students are invited to this special ceremony, where the best work of current graduates is recognized and rewarded. In past years it has taken place in such celebrated venues as Paris’ Théâtre Mogador.
• Eloquence Contest: Unleash your voice and join the eloquence competition, open to every student at Cours Florent! With a category exclusively in English, we warmly invite non-French speakers to shine on stage.
• Prix Florent Image: The Prix Florent Image is a short film competition open to all students of the School. Students can participate by submitting a short film on the topic of their choice. A jury of industry professionals awards prizes for best film, best actor, and best actress.