Student Life

Culture

Aix is a city rich in literary, cultural and artistic events, particularly in 2013 with the designation of Marseille-Provence as the Capitale européenne de la culture or MP 2013.  Aix’s annual summer opera festival attracts distinguished performers and audiences from all over the world. The city also boasts a music school, the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud, named for a composer and Aix native and is home to choreographer Anjelin Preljocaj’s renowned Pavillon Noir theatre. The Grand Théâtre de Provence features opera performances, concerts, and classical and contemporary plays throughout the year. The annual Festival Tous Courts competition in December brings together producers and aficionados of short feature films from all over the world.

In addition to the many cultural and artistic events, sports like hiking, kayaking and biking, among others, are also popular in the Aix region. We encourage students to join a club or team and to take advantage of organized activities like hiking, yoga and dance classes or cooking and wine-tasting classes.  Joining a chorus or musical group, being part of sports team, taking pottery or photography lessons, or doing volunteer work, for example, are excellent ways to meet French people and improve your language skills while having fun. Individual cultural stipends allow WIA students to be reimbursed for activities of their choice in French.

Once students are acclimated in Aix, they frequently enjoy exploring nearby cities and regions easily accessible by train or bus, such as Marseille, Nice, Lyon, Grenoble, and Montpellier. Each semester, the program organizes a weekend trip to a nearby region as well as a few day trips in Provence and other group activities. Destinations have included Lyon, Arles and the Camargue, the island of Porquerolles, Avignon and les Baux de Provence, the villages of Gordes and Roussillon, and the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Students are also encouraged to take advantage of trips organized by Sciences Po or other student groups.

In recent years, WIA students have been selected to assist with Aix’s annual short-film festival in December, the Festival tous courts, or have volunteered with the local Red Cross, for example. On-site staff can offer guidance to students interested in pursuing their own volunteer and internship opportunities. 

Centre Wellesley & On-Site Staff

The WIA program is headquartered in a converted house located in a residential area about a 10-minute walk from the town center. It is open during regular business hours, and onsite staff are available daily.

The center includes a small library and large common room, a computer room with printers, a fully-equipped kitchen, and an outdoor terrace for student use. Free wireless access is available at the center and in the outdoor area. Students may drop by at their convenience to pick up mail, eat lunch, use the library or printers, work with the program tutor, and speak with staff. Group tutorials, occasional lectures, and group meetings are held in the common room. 

The Wellesley-in-Aix staff includes a full-time permanent resident director, student activities coordinator and housing coordinator who are available to assist students with all academic, administrative and practical matters. The resident director is the primary emergency contact person on site, handles all academic issues and acts as the liaison between the program and university partners in Aix as well as with the French, Francophone, and Italian Studies department and Office of International Study at Wellesley.