Sintra, September 2005. Eligo International co hosted and organised the third Painting & Patronage cultural initiative, which took place in Sintra, Portugal from 7-14 September 2005.
Established in Riyadh in 1999, Painting & Patronage is today one of the most prominent private cultural and educational exchange initiatives between Saudi Arabia and Europe. It was created by its founding patron and son of the late King Faisal, HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, in partnership with the initiative’s founding chairman, Mr Anthony Bailey.
The principal aim and activity of Painting & Patronage is to build valuable bridges of cultural, artistic and educational understanding between the Arab world and Europe. Through doing so, the initiative aims to establish a higher and deeper level of appreciation and understanding of each other’s distinct and diverse cultures and traditions.
Painting & Patronage also serves to create international and high profile platforms for statesmen from the Arab world and Europe to highlight and promote their roles either as artists in their own right, or as patrons of the arts on both a national or international level.
Worthy cultural exchange programmes for students between participating countries provide the educational framework and solid charitable foundation necessary for each Painting & Patronage initiative.
The formal launch ceremony took place on Friday 9 September 2005 at the historic National Palace of Sintra, close to the country’s capital city of Lisbon. His Excellency Jorge Sampaio, President of the Portuguese Republic, granted his High Patronage over the third Painting & Patronage initiative and formally inaugurated it in the presence of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal. The launch event included an exhibition of twenty-seven of the most recent paintings by HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal who is Governor of the Asir province. Over 400 other leading personalities and opinion formers including statesmen, parliamentarians, diplomats, business leaders, and artists from both countries were be present.
During the official opening ceremony, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal formally announced the launch of an artistic exchange programme between the two countries. This exchange will initially allow in the first year for up to 30 amateur and professional artists from Portugal to spend a fortnight at the Al-Miftaha Visual Arts Village in Asir.
In return, up to 30 Saudi Arabian artists will be invited to visit and paint in Sintra. An honorary committee has been formed to support this major Saudi Arabian-Portuguese cultural and educational initiative. Among the members of the committee are leading figures from Portugal including The Portuguese Ministers of State, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Economy, Innovation and Culture, HE The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Portugal, HE The Ambassador of Portugal to Saudi Arabia, HRH The Duke of Braganza, the Mayor of Sintra, the President of the Camões Institute, the President of the Arab Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, the Rector of Lisbon University and a senior representative of the Ricardo Espírito Santo Foundation. The Chairman of Painting & Patronage, Mr Anthony Bailey, chaired the honorary committee.
A number of other high profile events aimed at promoting and encouraging wider bilateral cultural economic and political ties between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Portuguese Republic took place on the occasion of the opening of Painting & Patronage. Among them were a formal luncheon hosted by HE Prof Dr Diogo Freitas do Amaral, Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, an official dinner offered by HE Dr Luís Filipe Marques Amado Portuguese Minister of National Defence, a cultural evening hosted by HE Dr Isabel Pires de Lima, Minister of Culture and Arquitecto Joao Rodeia, President of IPPAR (Instituto Português do Patrimonio Arqitectonico) and a dinner hosted by the Mayor of Sintra on behalf of the Municipality.
The President of the Portuguese Republic, The Prime Minister of Portugal, and the Minister of Economy and Innovation also received the Painting & Patronage delegation during their ten day stay in Portugal.
The organisers of Painting & Patronage in Portugal were the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Portuguese Ministry of Culture, IPPAR, the King Faisal Foundation and the Municipality of Sintra. The initiative was organised by Eligo International in conjunction with its Portuguese partner, Unlimited Events. Buchanan Capital Group, Portugal Telecom were among the principal sponsors of the initiative.
Eligo International has been hired by Painting & Patronage since its founding in 1999 and co-ordinates all its communications and strategic requirements. Eligo organised the first Painting & Patronage initiative which took place in London in 2000 and united HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal with HRH The Prince of Wales in what became the largest ever cultural exchange programme between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.
An exhibition featuring the paintings by HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal and HRH The Prince of Wales and a Summer School for young artists was funded as a part of the first Painting & Patronage initiative as well as a formal exchange programme established between The Prince’s Foundation and the King Faisal Foundation. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II also visited the exhibition which was held at the Palace of Whitehall in Central London.
The second Painting & Patronage exhibition took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in February 2001. The exhibition followed the same format, style and content as the London exhibition and was opened by The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (as Crown Prince), HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.
As an on-going private royal initiative, Painting & Patronage will be initiating further cultural exchange programmes and are currently planning to broaden its activity within the coming years to include other European and North American nations.
To read the foreword by His Excellency Dr Jorge Sampaio, President of the Portuguese Republic, please click here.
To read the foreword by His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, please click here.
To read the message from Mr Anthony Bailey, Chairman of Painting & Patronage, please click here.
To read the message from Her Excellency Isabel Pires de Lima, Minister of Culture of Portugal, please click here.
To read the message from His Excellency Dr João Gomes Cravinho, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation of Portugal, please click here.
To read the message from Dr Fernando Seara, Mayor of Sintra, please click here.
For more information please visit www.paintingandpatronage.com.
