ARTISTIC GREATS FOSTER YOUNG ARTISTS
ACROSS THE GLOBE IN THE ROLEX ARTS INITIATIVE

London’s Royal Opera House setting for gala celebration

Geneva, September 7, 2009 – Rebecca Horn, Jiří Kylián, Youssou N’Dour, Martin Scorsese, Wole Soyinka and Kate Valk will gather in London on 6 December to mark the completion of the latest edition of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, an international philanthropic programme that promotes artistic excellence across generations and cultures through one-to-one mentoring relationships.

These six renowned artists, who spent the past year sharing their knowledge and insights with six gifted young talents as part of the Rolex programme, will join with other arts leaders from around the world for a gala dinner hosted by Rolex at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. More than 400 guests will learn first-hand how the master artists have influenced the development of their protégés during the 2008-2009 mentoring year.

The protégés, from four continents, are Nahuel Perez Biscayart (Argentina), Masanori Handa (Japan), Aurelio Martínez (Honduras), Celina Murga (Argentina), Jason Akira Somma (United States) and Tara June Winch (Australia).

To coincide with this celebration, Rolex is organizing three days (3-5 December) of public events in collaboration with major London cultural institutions, including Tate Modern, Sadler’s Wells, the Theatre Royal Haymarket and the British Film Institute (BFI). These events will showcase the protégés’ work and involve several of the mentors.

“The Arts Initiative embodies the values that Rolex stands for,” said Rolex CEO Bruno Meier. “Individual achievement and excellence have been our hallmarks from the start, and it is these qualities that are so clearly demonstrated by the mentors and protégés. We at Rolex are proud of our long-standing commitment to supporting the arts, and we thank both past and present artists who have participated in the programme for helping us to perpetuate the world’s artistic heritage.”

During the proceedings on 6 December, the names of the master artists who will serve as mentors in the 2010-2011 mentoring year will be announced. The new protégés will be chosen early next year by the mentors from a group of finalists.

Inaugurated in 2002, the Rolex Arts Initiative is unique in its support of rising artists in six disciplines: dance, film, literature, music, theatre and visual arts, and in its systematic approach to discovering talent from all corners of the world, from urban centres to remote regions.

“Since the launch of the Arts lnitiative, we have come to realize that the artistic exchange that ensues greatly benefits the mentors, as well as the protégés,” said Rebecca Irvin, Rolex’s director of philanthropy. ”The protégés receive crucial knowledge and advice from great masters, while the mentors are inspired by the fresh ideas of the emerging artists. These symbiotic relationships are the cornerstone of the programme’s continuing success.”

The 2008-2009 mentoring year has been documented in a series of short films and an arts magazine published by Rolex.

Further information on the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative can be found at rolexmentorprotege.com.

Press Enquiries:
Mr. Nicolas Bohnet
The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative
P.O. Box 1311
1211 Geneva 26, Switzerland
rmp@rolex.com
Tel: +41 22 302 22 00
Fax: +41 22 302 25 85