Artistic and creative vision may be a constant in our world, but transforming it into an actual work of art requires knowledge and expertise that must be passed down through the generations. It’s a cause wholly supported by luxury Swiss horology brand Rolex, with its Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative aiming to support and perpetuate artistic excellence. Launched in 2002, this project pairs an experienced mentor and an upcoming talent in a particular form of art.

Recently, the luxury brand announced the one-to-one pairs for this cycle (2020-21). This year the chosen fields for the Arts Initiative include film, theatre, visual arts and an open category. Below is a brief mention of the pairs that will be working closely for the next two years.

In the film category, Spike Lee, the director of the Academy award-winning film Blackklansman will be training Kyle Bell – a filmmaker who worked on the Emmy-winning documentary production Osiyo: Voices of the Cherokee People.

Known for directing the groundbreaking musical and film Mamma Mia!, Phyllida Lloyd will be guiding Whitney White – the artist of positively critiqued theatrical creations like What to Send Up When it Goes Down.

As for visual arts, the multi-talented Carrie Mae Weems, who has executed her skills through her films, performances, scripts and more, has chosen to transfer her wisdom to Camila Rodríguez Triana – a Colombian visual artist whose creations have been displayed on exhibitions across Europe and South America.

Lastly, the well-known and award-winning actor Lin-Manuel Miranda will be working on the open category session. The trainee for this will be announced in March.

Click here for more details on this philanthropic mentorship programme.