From May 9 to May 13, 2023, in the city of Tours, France, the first masterclass of the "YES / Young European Sculpture" project took place. The event was organized by the TALM Higher School of Art and Design (France) in collaboration with project partner organizations.

The masterclass featured four workshops, each dedicated to one fundamental element of sculpture. The workshops were led by professors Cécile Hartmann, Vincent Voillat, Cyril Zarcone, and Thierry Mouillé from the TALM-Tours Sculpture Department.

Representing and actively participating in the workshops from the Latvian Academy of Arts were students from the sculpture sub-department: Evisa Petrovska, Annija Krausa, Artūrs Bogdanovs, Einārs Stepko, Natālija Nāzare, Anna Prokofjeva, Krišjānis Beļavskis, Monta Kurzemniece, and Olga Melehina. The workshop was facilitated by lecturer Egons Perševics and assistant Andrejs Ratkevičs.

Project: YES / Young European Sculpture

YES is a European collaboration project between higher education programs in sculpture. The project aims to bring together four European higher schools of art and design from France, Italy, Latvia, and Portugal in a single pedagogical program, establishing the first joint sculpture study program.

YES workgroups will explore the European contexts of contemporary sculpture production, with a particular focus on sustainable practices, public spaces, including virtual spaces, and social practices.

The initiative is coordinated by the TALM Higher School of Art and Design in France, along with project partners Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara (Italy), Latvian Academy of Arts (Latvia), and Faculdade de Belas Artes – Universidad do Porto (Portugal).

Financial support is provided by Erasmus+ and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.