The Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Foundation has just launched its very first programme. Baptised Lancôme Revelations after the sponsor and partner brand, the programme encourages access by students from the most modest backgrounds to prestigious art schools. It offers support and personalised accompaniment to students from senior high school on who are keen to pursue artistic careers.

This initiative, conducted with the French beauty products brand known worldwide since 1935, has chosen to operate exclusively in schools that are part of the “sites of excellence” network. The Foundation’s team visited and met the people working in some 20 of these schools, in towns like Roubaix, Marseille, Amiens and Le Havre. These schools located in priority education areas and belonging to the “Espoir Banlieues” (hope for the suburbs) plan, share a special characteristic: they have all established high-level partnerships with prestigious institutions: elite colleges and preparatory classes for admission to these colleges, but also prestigious cultural institutions.

Just like any other school, they have students with particular talents for drawing, writing or creativity. But for lack of means, information or a feeling that these avenues are not for them, their talent is not developed. The Lancôme Revelations programme proposes supporting these young people to give them every opportunity to be admitted into an arts college preparatory class or an art school, by offering extra tuition, practical arts workshops, cultural outings and visits to such schools.

Initiatives will be organised throughout the school year in more than 20 senior high schools.

• Discovery of a range of creative careers: architect, designer, graphic artists, model maker, landscape artist, photographer, fashion designer, etc.;

• Assistance in identifying the professional avenues and jobs that most closely correspond to their aspirations and aptitudes;

• Organisation of practical arts workshops for which teachers will invite outside practitioners;

• Access to monthly outings around themes related to culture and the arts;

• Organisation of personalised vocational guidance sessions, illustrated notably by visits to post-Baccalaureate art and crafts schools that train young people in these trades;

• Preparation for entrance selection or competitive examinations for the prestigious schools of art.

On launch of the programme, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy declared: “This is about equal opportunity, the same hopes for all – to put it briefly, solidarity; but also and more profoundly, about personal growth and development.” “This commitment to solidarity is natural for Lancôme, since truly sustainable growth must go hand-in-hand with societal responsibility”, added Youcef Nabi, Chairman of Lancôme International.