ESMA opens its doors wide for HYPERACTIVE, the festival that gets the Cité Créative buzzing

HYPERACTIVE: a new festival to celebrate the Cité Créative

The TropismeFestival is changing its name to HYPERACTIVE, the Cité Créative festival, with the support of the City of Montpellier, the Metropole andAltémed. The aim of this new annual event is clear: to put the spotlight on this fast-changing district, which has become one of the region’s major centres for the cultural and creative industries.

Once a military training ground, the Cité Créative is now a place where artists, students, entrepreneurs and creative professionals live, experiment and innovate. The forthcoming arrival of line 5 of the tramway will further strengthen its integration into the heart of Montpellier and support its development as a natural extension of the city centre.

For three weeks, HYPERACTIVE invites visitors to discover the many facets of this unique district. The event questions its past in order to imagine its future, giving a voice to the people who live and work there, and offering a rich programme of concerts, performances, screenings, workshops, meetings and culinary experiences.

ESMA, a committed player in the Cité Créative

As part of the Cité Créative, ESMA is fully involved in this collective dynamic. As an applied arts school renowned for its courses in 3D animation, special effects, illustration, concept art and video games, the school plays an active part in the district’s artistic effervescence.

Taking part in HYPERACTIVE is an obvious choice for ESMA: to open the doors of its campus, share the talents of its students, promote careers in the cultural and creative industries and showcase its facilities to the general public.

Through a varied programme, ESMA wants to offer an immersion into its creative universe, while creating moments of encounter, exchange and discovery accessible to all.

An Afrovibe session on the campus rooftop

On Wednesday 6 May at 7.30pm, the ESMA rooftop will be transformed into a space of dance and energy with an Afrovibe class led by Maryam Kaba.

Dancer, choreographer and co-founder of the Afrovibe concept, Maryam Kaba has been developing this discipline for several years, combining movements inspired by Afro dances and muscle strengthening. Designed as a total body workout, Afrovibe combines progressive intensity, rhythm and the pleasure of movement.

Accessible to all, this session is an opportunity to discover a dynamic practice that promotes endurance, coordination, letting go and well-being. A collective experience designed to get you moving, reconnect with your energy and enjoy a unique moment at the top of the campus.

Testing video games designed by students

On Saturday 9 May, from 2pm to 5pm, ESMA will be inviting the public to discover and test the video games developed by its students.

This demonstration will provide an opportunity to explore original projects designed as part of the Video Games course. Gameplay, graphics, interactive mechanics and artistic direction will all be on show, allowing you to immerse yourself in the students’ creativity.

Visitors will be able to talk to the creators, go behind the scenes of game development and gain a better understanding of the various design stages, from the initial idea to the playable version.

Wellness mornings with yoga and pilates

On Sundays 10, 17 and 24 May, ESMA will be offering a wellness break on its rooftop.

In a friendly, soothing atmosphere, participants can take part in a series of classes accessible to all, ideal for a gentle start to the day.

• Yoga: 10am to 11am
• Pilates: 11am to 12pm

These classes are a great way to refocus, relax and take care of yourself.

Price: €10

Booking compulsory via the festival’s online ticketing service.

Discovering careers in the cultural and creative industries

On Tuesday 19 May, from 2pm to 5pm, ESMA will be hosting a round table and professional meetings on careers in the cultural and creative industries.

Designed for students, high-school pupils and the curious who want to gain a better understanding of the realities of the sector, this discussion time will provide an opportunity to discover the diversity of careers linked to cinema, 3D, concept art, visual effects and video games.

Several professionals will be sharing their backgrounds, experiences and vision of the profession:

• Aurélien Ronceray, Founder & Creative Director at BoldBrush VFX
• Nils Firas, Illustrator, Concept Artist and Matte Painter at BoldBrush VFX
• Ugo Lafont, video game specialist

A unique opportunity to talk directly to industry experts and get practical advice on the creative professions.

ESMA animation films projected on the big screen

On Tuesday 19 May from 2pm to 5pm and Friday 22 May from 6pm, the public will be able to discover a selection of graduation films made by students in 3D Animation and Special Effects.

Each year, the short films produced by ESMA students demonstrate a high level of artistic and technical excellence. True professional calling cards, these films reveal their mastery of storytelling, directing, character design, animation and visual rendering.

These screenings will offer an immersion into the creative world of the school’s young talent, through original works that have often won acclaim at international festivals.

A festive closing evening for Creative City Night

On Friday 22 May, Cité Créative Night, the district will be hosting an exceptional evening of festivities and discovery.

From 7pm to 10pm, ESMA will be putting on a special programme featuring a DJ set by Marina Rabita, designed as a convivial highlight open to all.

Visitors will also be able to take advantage of a number of events around the campus:

• The Arcaneexhibition , open by night
• Screenings of animated films in the school’s studio
• A designer market
• A popping and locking workshop
• Food trucks to extend the experience in a festive atmosphere

An event not to be missed

HYPERACTIVE confirms the Cité Créative’s role as a lively, inspiring and forward-looking district. By taking part in this first edition, ESMA is reaffirming its commitment to bringing creativity to life, promoting talent and encouraging meetings between students, professionals and the general public.

We warmly invite you to come and discover this rich and immersive programme, to push open the doors of the campus and to take advantage of the many artistic and cultural events organised throughout the district.

Find out more about all the activities on the HYPERACTIVEfestival programme !