A pioneer once again in this area, the Frac des Pays de la Loire set up the International Workshops programe in 1984. Through this exceptional experiment in France, the Frac is developing ways and means to support art, thus helping to enrich its collection in an original way.

As a place for research, exchanges and production, these Workshops are an active and reactive laboratory. Each year, for two months, they enable the invited artists to work and meet people involved in the world of business, and in the professional art milieu (curators, art critics, gallery owners), as well as students from universities and art schools attending them. The works made on the spot are then shown to the public.

The provision at Carquefou of permanent accommodation units and studios now makes it possible, on a year-round basis, to invite artists who are better established to work on projects related to the commission. The Frac is thus fully adopting its helping-hand role in art production.