Founded in May 2016, La Factry helps tap into the modern workforce’s creative side.
La Factry president Marie Amiot joined Global’s Laura Casella to talk about the school and its mandate.
“When we’re young, we’re very creative,” Amiot said.
“As you start working and start to feel pressured, you become less and less creative.”
The first of its kind in Canada, the school was set up in Montreal to support the city’s thriving creative industries.
La Factry offers a selection of courses, ranging from creative leadership, and storytelling to creative data gathering and visualization, among others.
Backed by the Association of Creative Communications Agencies, part-time weekday classes are offered to professionals and the school offers a lighter selection of workshops and activity programming at night.
Lachine’s Collégial Internationale Sainte-Anne, in conjunction with La Factry, offers a recognized Government of Quebec Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) to students that recently graduated high-school.
“Using innovative, multidisciplinary teaching, our methods encourage students to think outside the box,” La Factry marketing director Fauve Doucet told Global News.
“Our curriculum includes courses in arts, communications, creation, business, strategy, technology and cutting-edge thinking.”
La Factry plans to launch a “Gap Year” program for older students near the end of 2018.
“The Gap Year program will be for students who have finished CEGEP or university,” Doucet said.
“The goal is to help students transition into the workforce. We will help them find [internships] with creative companies either abroad or local.”
La Factry currently offers bilingual courses, but is planning to draw students from across Canada and beyond with an English-only curriculum.
“Our school is there to develop creative skills,” Amiot said.
“We hope that in five years, people will come from all over the world to take our classes.”
La Factry is located in the historic Windsor Station at the corner of Saint-Antoine and Peel.