The Intro

Hi there!  We are Beth, Kate and Annie.  As part of our amazing Erasmus year at the IAV here in Orleans, France, we decided that for one of our projects we would like to take a closer look at the interesting differences between England and France:  the life, culture, food, shopping and generally views of one country about the other.  The three of us have been living in France for four and a half months now,  and some differences we noticed straight away, others we are only just beginning to realise. All very interesting!

We are three students studying Interior Design at DeMontfort University in Leicester, and we were given the opportunity to come to France to study at the Institute of Visual Arts (IAV) in Orleans for an academic year.  We saw this as a great chance to study the subject that we love, from a different viewpoint, and also to learn French, not only for the benefits of communication, but also to boost our future career prospects.

River Loire

Cobbled Street

The city of Orleans is situated 125 km, about an hour, south of Paris, on the River Loire, almost in the centre of France.  It has about 250,000 inhabitants, and is the smallest city in France to have a tramline.  The city is steeped in history: St Joan of Arc was one of its heroines, and retains much of its historical heritage, particularly in the old town in the centre of the city: tiny cobbled streets, beautifully lit at night, tall, half-timbered, narrow houses and all dominated by the enormous cathedral.

The IAV or Ecole Superieur d'Art et Design as it has recently been changed to, is a former Art School specialising in the teaching of Graphic, Product, Furniture and Spatial Design.  It is a small Institute with about 200 students but with a high teaching ratio.  It is located in the cathedral quarter near the city art gallery.

The city of Leicester is also centrally situated in England.  It has a long history in the textile manufacturing industry.

DeMontfort University was formerly Leicester Polytechnic, and  has many faculties, of which the Art and Design Department offers a wide range of courses to the 3000 students who attend it.