Jean-Pierre Blanc is the Director of the Villa Noailles, which operates as a national hub for fashion, art and design.
He is a passionate, committed man with strong values and he is devoted to promoting young artists and designers. Jean-Pierre Blanc is the Director of the Villa Noailles, art centre of national significance.
Villa Noailles is an architectural gem designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens for Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, a couple of avant-garde patrons of the arts who had a particular appreciation for the decorative arts, music and dance, and who wanted, to quote them, a «small house that is interesting to live in»
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As Jean-Pierre so aptly writes in the preface to the book ‘Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, Mécènes du XXe siècle’ published by the Villa Noailles, it is a place «that is magical, lived-in, extraordinarily beautiful, whose facades Robert Mallet-Stevens knew so well how to carve. A heliotropic villa, it lights up at the first rays of the sun, plays with shadows during the day and then blazes in the twilight.»
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This staunchly modern house is celebrating its centenary this year.
You climb up the alleyways of the Old Town of Hyères and you come here almost like on a pilgrimage — its original name, Clos Saint Bernard, almost evokes a place of worship, of quiet reflection.
And it has somehow become a place of aesthetic worship and contemplation for artists in residence, as well as for visitors.
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As a worthy spiritual heir to the Noailles family, Jean-Pierre Blanc perpetuates their commitment to supporting creation, and the venue's vocation of welcoming artists and the public.
Passionate and driven by deep-rooted values, Jean-Pierre talks to us in particular about his vision of the French system, his conception of leadership and his definition of public service.
By listening to our conversation, I hope you will be able to feel both the spirit of the place and of the Noailles family, and the radiant energy of this man dedicated to promoting young creation.
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If you’d like to find out more about what I call Creative Management, I dedicated a full episode to it a few months ago.
Today, I would like to take a closer look at one aspect of Creative Management: team-building.
What exactly does it involve?
What are the benefits?
I also share a great example, as well as a counter-example, from my own experience as an employee.
And bonus: I talk about my favourite sports coach, Ted Lasso. (no spoiler as I haven’t started Series 4 yet).
If you're interested in offering your team a workshop / team-building / training session, do drop me an email! lbm@lilibonnet.com
I can organise and facilitate almost anywhere in the world 🙂
I’ve known Fabien for over 20 years, back when he was a graphic designer.
We worked together on a project and have stayed in touch — partly because it’s something I enjoy doing, of course, but mainly because I’ve always admired his entrepreneurial spirit.
Even when he enrolled at art school, he didn’t know what he was going to do later on; he just had a fairly broad vision of his future:
– getting up whenever he wanted;
– not working for a boss;
– and living in a loft.
Today, that’s exactly what he’s doing.
He’s the owner of UNSEEN, a vintage shop in Brussels, but he’s also a designer, a carpenter…
it’s clearly impossible to define him in a single word, as he has developed and put to use a wide range of skills.
And it’s quite fascinating to see how much this multi-potential individual needs to free himself from the constraints that a single skill entails, to allow himself not to be confined to just one profession. Not to limit himself. And that is precisely the driving force behind everything he undertakes.
this episode, we also talked about:
– pop culture,
– imposter syndrome,
– mental health,
– and identity, thanks to his recent reconnection with his country of origin, Vietnam.
