The prestigious Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative list for 2016-2017 is out. And Indian filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane (director of the award-winning film Court) is on the list. He will be mentored by Alfonso Cuaron, the Oscar-award winning director of films like Gravity, Children of Men and Love in the Time of Hysteria.
The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative is a unique philanthropic programme that was set up in 2002 to make a contribution to global culture. The programme seeks out gifted young artists from all over the world and brings them together with artistic masters for a year of creative collaboration in a one-to-one mentoring relationship.
Engaging with a mentor as a way to learn and achieve full potential as an artist is an ancient practice. In more recent history, famous mentoring pairs include German composer and conductor Christian Gottlieb Neefe who was a role model for the boy prodigy Ludwig van Beethoven and French impressionist painter Camille Pissarro who devoted his life to nurturing young painters such as Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat and Paul Cézanne.
Only in relatively recent times has mentoring been neglected. However, it is once again gaining popularity as an effective learning approach in diverse fields beyond the arts, including business and education.
Over the past decade, Rolex has paired mentors and protégés in dance, film, literature, music, theatre, visual arts and architecture. Since 2002 more than 850 people
in 100 countries have been nominated for the programme. Advisors include 113 major artists and creative leaders, while 208 influential figures in the arts have nominated young artists and selected finalists. Forty-three of the world’s greatest artists have served as mentors.
in 100 countries have been nominated for the programme. Advisors include 113 major artists and creative leaders, while 208 influential figures in the arts have nominated young artists and selected finalists. Forty-three of the world’s greatest artists have served as mentors.
 |
| Chaitanya Tamhane and Alfonso Cuaron |
Some of the past mentors include Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison, Mira Nair, Martin Scorsese, Peter Sellers and so on.
How the programme works? Every two years, a new advisory board of distinguished artists and arts practitioners suggests and endorses potential mentors. Once the mentors have been approached and have agreed to take part, Rolex works with them to establish a profile of the protégé they would like to work with. Each mentorship is therefore tailor-made.
Young artists cannot apply directly to the programme. Rather, seven nominating panels – one panel for each artistic discipline – are assembled. The expert panel members identify suitable potential protégés, who are then invited by Rolex to submit applications. Panel members study these applications and recommend three finalists from their respective discipline. Finally, Rolex arranges for the mentor to meet the finalists and choose his or her protégé.
The mentoring year: Mentors and protégés are asked to spend a minimum of six weeks together, though many spend considerably more time. They agree on where and how they want to interact. This may mean a protégé is granted access to a master at work, or to a mentor and protégé actually collaborating on a work. Protégés in the programme are granted unparalleled access to the greatest artists in the world, many of whom welcome the opportunity to share wisdom, experience and ideas.
Support received: Each protégé receives a grant of 25,000 Swiss francs during the mentoring year, in addition to funds to cover travel and other major expenses. A budget of a further 25,000 Swiss francs is available to each protégé after the year is over. This is offered specifically towards the creation of a new piece of work, a publication, a performance or public event. To compensate them for the time, energy and other resources they provide, each of the mentors is awarded an honorarium of 75,000 Swiss francs.
After the mentoring year, Rolex stays in touch with the protégés and continues to promote their work. Many of the protégés have gone on to significant careers, have changed disciplines, collaborated with each other and have become mentors themselves.
No comments :
Post a Comment