The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative is a philanthropic programme that pairs gifted young artists with internationally recognized masters in: architecture, dance, film, literature, music, theatre and visual arts, for a year of creative collaboration in a one-to-one mentoring relationship. The initiative was launched in 2002 and runs every two years, with the aim of making significant contributions to the arts worldwide.
History
The mentoring programme grew out of a desire by Rolex, the Swiss watch company, to support artists in the same way that the Rolex Awards for Enterprise were supporting scientists, conservationists and explorers. Two years of research in the 1990s led to the discovery that mentorship of individual young artists was lacking, and the international initiative was founded to nurture young dancers, musicians, theatre directors, writers, visual artists and film-makers.
Programme
The mentor-protégé selection process begins with the establishment of an Advisory Board of distinguished artists and arts practitioners from around the world who suggest, endorse and help recruit the mentors. Once the mentors ─ one in each discipline ─ have agreed to take part, each gives a profile of his/her ideal protégé. The potential protégés are young, extremely talented artists, who have already made great headway in their careers, but who will benefit tremendously by collaborating with a master for a year. Tailor-made panels of nominators, one for each discipline, act as “talent scouts” to identify suitable protégé candidates from their extensive network of contacts worldwide; the potential candidates are approached and asked to submit applications detailing their credentials and career motivation, which are used by the respective panel to select three or four protégé finalists. Finally, each mentor meets with the finalists to choose his/her protégé. The best talent is inevitably discovered through this process. The mentor and protégé work closely together during the mentoring period, with each pair deciding the most effective way of interacting. Except for the minimum of six weeks that the mentor-protégé pairs are required to spend together, there are few rules to the programme. Most spend considerably more time interacting, sharing knowledge and experience. Rolex grants each mentor an honorarium of 100,000 Swiss francs, and each protégé 40,000 Swiss francs during the mentoring period and 30,000 Swiss francs after the mentoring period for the creation of a new piece of work, a publication, performance or public event. The programme is managed by a specialized team at the company’s headquarters in Geneva. After the mentoring year, Rolex continues to keep in touch with the protégés, following their careers and documenting their progress on the Arts Initiative website .
Outcome
The initiative has been highly acclaimed by both mentors and protégés. Protégés gain from the mentor-protégé relationship, and, over the years, mentors have expressed how they have gained new energy, insights and inspiration from the younger artists. Cross-fertilization also exists through the alumni network of artists who have participated in the programme.
