Career guidance
The Central Vapeur Association aims to help new illustrators become professionals by offering them guidance with administrative, financial, social and legal procedures, as well as specialised training.
A unique cultural scene
The Eurometropolis of Strasbourg boasts lots of special cultural characteristics, making it a unique place. Here are some fun facts, some widely known and some more obscure, that make Strasbourg and its surrounding area so distinctive.
- Discovering
- Heritage
A land of illustration
A remarkable school
HEAR (School of Arts of the Rhine), formerly known as the School of Decorative Arts, is a renowned institution in Strasbourg that welcomes students from around the world. Some of the school’s alumni went on to become renowned illustrators: Tomi Ungerer, Jean Arp, Boulet, Blutch, Anouk Ricard, and others.
A very recent achievement !
Anouk Ricard, who graduated from the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts in 1995, won the Grand Prize at the 52nd Angoulême International Comic Book Festival ! Currently, and for the year of the World Book Capital, a tramway illustrated by the artist is circulating in the city. Have you seen it?
Strasbourg: Middle-earth?
John Howe, an illustrator and artistic director of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film series, studied at the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts in the 70s. He makes no secret of his love for the cathedral of Strasbourg and the castles of Alsace, which have greatly inspired his work.
A land of filmmaking
Many Strasbourg locals remember how the square in front of the Cathedral was transformed to shoot a scene in a Sherlock Holmes film directed by Guy Ritchie (in 2011), based on the books by Arthur Conan Doyle. Spectacular effects and a mind-blowing explosion that left a lasting impression! But this is not an isolated case. The Eurometropolis of Strasbourg is considered to be a great location for filming.
A few figures...
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250days of film shoots a year in the Eurometropolis
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35short films shot since 2020
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14feature-length films since 2020
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8TV series and shows, including 3 recurrent series: César Wagner, Parlement and Face à Face?
France’s only national theatre outside of Paris
Founded in 1968, the National Theatre of Strasbourg is France’s only national theatre located outside of Paris!
France has 6 of these theatres in all, and each one has a specific focus. The emphasis of the National Theatre of Strasbourg is running a school: the Academy of Dramatic Arts, which has five sections: acting, directing, dramaturgy, production and stage and costume design.
TNS
A remarkable skyline
In 2024, Strasbourg was in 9th position in a ranking of the world's most photogenic skylines on Instagram. It’s on the list together with cities such as Dubai, New York, Miami and Prague! The TonerGiant company compiled this ranking by counting the number of likes per city on photos with the hashtag #skyline.
A uniquely distinctive skyline...
This skyline would be nothing without the striking silhouette of our magnificent cathedral... And Strasbourg’s cathedral was the highest stone church in Europe continuously from 1439 to the end of the 19th century.
The birthplace of printing...
It was in Strasbourg that Gutenberg developed the elements needed for the invention of printing, by improving existing techniques. Gutenberg’s presence can be felt everywhere in the city, since a plaque, an association, a square and a statue all bear his name.
Did you know?
On the square in Strasbourg named Place Gutenberg, the statue is holding a book inscribed with the words “And there was light” in reference to some of the first words in the Bible, referring to knowledge being available to everyone.
During the inauguration of the statue on Place Gutenberg in June 1840, in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the invention of the printing press, a festival was held for three days, and an extraordinary industrial procession took place as part of the inauguration, featuring international delegations and printers from all over France. Items from this parade are still preserved in the museums of the City of Strasbourg.
... and of the French National Anthem!
Although it's not obvious, given the fact that the French name of the country’s national anthem is “La Marseillaise”, it was actually in Strasbourg, in 1792, that its composer, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, wrote what would later become the national anthem, at the time titled “Battle Hymn for the Rhine Army”.
Improv galore!
A practice that began in Quebec in the form of theatrical improv competitions borrowing from hockey rules, improv theatre has become very popular in France.
The Eurometropolis of Strasbourg has since developed an especially vibrant improv scene, with more than 30 associations offering shows in a wide variety of formats, and improv workshops! The “Impro Strasbourg” Facebook group has over 2,000 fans. How about you? Will you give it a go?
Did you know?
The oldest improv theatre league in France is in Strasbourg. LOLITA (Open and Free Amateur Theatre Improv), was founded in 1993!
Lolita - Ligue ouverte et libre d'improvisation théâtrale amateur. Chloé Barth, Frédéric Lemanceau