Apprentice Training Centre (CFA)

Work-Study Training in the Performing Arts

Since 2008, the Opéra national de Nancy-Lorraine has been committed to professional training through its Apprentice Training Centre (CFA), focused on the performing arts, opera, and orchestral professions.

In partnership with the University of Lorraine (Faculty of Arts, Literature, and Languages), the CFA offers a state-recognised professional degree: 'Communication and Promotion of Artistic Creation', a work-study programme combining higher eductation academic instruction with practical immersion in performing arts organisations. This European-recognised diploma reflects a commitment to transmitting the values of a demanding sector, uniting artistic excellence, technical rigour, and social responsibility. A wide range of organisations welcome apprentices and professionals on contract: opera houses (Paris, Opéra-Comique, Dijon, Lille, Saint-Étienne, Strasbourg, etc.), orchestras (Île-de-France, Metz, Clermont-Ferrand, Picardie, etc.), drama centres, national theatres, festivals, and both local and national cultural institutions.

The programme is divided into two distinct tracks, reflecting two key areas of expertise:

Opera Stage Professions Track, training students in four core roles:
- Stage Manager
- Orchestra Stage Manager
- Production Manager
- Music Librarian
Audience Engagement and Partnerships Track, preparing students for roles such as:
- Public Relations Officer
- Cultural Outreach Officer

This dual theoretical and practical curriculum eases entry into the profession. Students gain field experience, work with artistic and technical teams, contribute to productions, and refine their skills in direct collaboration with partner organisations.

Since the CFA’s founding and the launch of the degree, over 350 individuals have been trained and placed with nearly 250 employers across France.
Since 2020, the CFA has opened its doors to international students: short-term Erasmus internships during the training year and longer Erasmus+ placements (3 to 11 months) post-graduation. Each year, several young professionals travel to European cultural institutions to expand their horizons, strengthen language skills, and explore different professional practices. Recent destinations include Athens, Brussels, Berlin, Copenhagen, Liège, Luxembourg, Madrid, Prague, Stockholm, Rhodes, Tallinn, and Venice. Beyond technical training, these internships offer precious human and cultural experiences, often decisive in shaping early careers. The aim is clear: to train capable, mobile, and curious individuals ready to adapt in a changing cultural ecosystem.

With the recent appointment of Fabrice Gartner, Dean of the Nancy Faculty of Law, as its director, the CFA is reinforcing its ties with the University of Lorraine to jointly prepare young professionals for rigorous, collaborative, and socially engaged careers. Work-study training, blending learning with experience, offers an ideal framework for passing on knowledge. In a constantly evolving sector, this programme seeks to train performing arts professionals fully attuned to the contemporary challenges of artistic creation.