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From the official web site "Painting
and Patronage"
The Painting
& Patronage initiative was established in Riyadh in 1999
and is today one of the most prominent private cultural and
educational exchange initiatives between the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia and Europe. It was created by its founding patron and son
of His late Majesty King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, 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 the
initiative 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 appreciation and understanding of each other's
distinct and diverse cultures and traditions.
The Painting & Patronage initiative also
serves to create international and high profile platforms for
statesmen from the Arab world and Europe to highlight and promote
their roles as either 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.
Due to the high level nature of each initiative, private sector
sponsors are usually sort to finance each exchange in conjunction
with the respective state authorities.
The first Painting & Patronage initiative
took place in London in 2000 and united HRH Prince Khalid
Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud with HRH The Prince of Wales in
what became the largest ever cultural exchange program between the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.
The Painting & Patronage exhibition,
featured paintings by HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal Al-Saud and HRH
The Prince of Wales and a number of other British artists. Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, HRH The Duke of Kent, and leading HM
Government, parliamentary and diplomatic officials also visited
the exhibition which was held at the Palace of Whitehall in
Central London. A visual Arab village was also created in the
basement of the Palace of Whitehall.
A Summer School for young artists was funded as
a result of the exhibition and a formal exchange program was
established between The Prince's Foundation and the King Faisal
Foundation. The exhibition was sponsored by BAE SYSTEMS and Shell
and was widely reported in the British, Arab and European media.
The organizer of the exhibition was leading reputation management
company, Eligo International.
The second Painting & Patronage exhibition
was held in Riyadh, Kingdom of 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.
The third and current Painting & Patronage
initiative [was scheduled to] be launched at the historic National
Palace of Sintra, Portugal, in September 2005 with a return event
to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in early 2006.
His Excellency Jorge Sampaio, President of the
Portuguese Republic, has granted his high patronage to the
initiative which will include the hosting of an exhibition of the
most recent paintings by HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal as well as a
number of other high profile events aimed at promoting and
encouraging wider bilateral ties between the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia and the Portuguese Republic.
Prince Khalid Al-Faisal will officially visit
Portugal from 4-14 September 2005 at the invitation of HE Prof Dr
Diogo Freitas do Amaral, Portuguese Minister of State and of
Foreign Affairs, and HE Dr Isabel Pires de Lima, Portuguese
Minister of Culture.
As an on-going private royal initiative,
Painting & Patronage would like to initiate further cultural
exchange programmes and are currently planning to broaden its
activity within the coming years to include other European and
North American nations.
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