More than 200 renowned artists and arts leaders from South Africa and around the world will gather at the Baxter on Saturday February 8 and Sunday February 9 for the Rolex Arts Weekend.
The event will include a series of talks, readings, exhibitions and performances, including two world premières, and will feature the work of the 20182019 protégés of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative with their mentors.
The two-day celebration is the culmination of the current cycle of the programme, which pairs master artists with emerging artists in a one-to-one mentoring relationship.
The protégés will demonstrate the insights they gained from their mentors.
This year the Rolex Arts Weekend is being curated by Fruzsina Szé* , the Hungarian-born festival and artistic director of Lollapalooza Berlin, who also served as an arts initiative nominator.
Highlights over the weekend include dance, architecture, literature, music, arts symposia and cinema. The Saturday is dedicated to dance and architecture and Sunday to literature and music.
Music protégé Marcus Gilmore, an innovative young drummer from the United States, will present a world premiere of his composition, Pulse, commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra on Sunday from 6pm until 7.15pm in the Baxter’s Concert Hall. Following the performance and a solo by Gilmore, the protégé and his mentor Zakir Hussain will discuss their mentoring experience.
In addition to the symposia and the mentor-protégé events, an Arts Weekend Cinema at the Baxter’s Golden Arrow Studio will feature films about the Rolex Arts Initiative, with past and present mentors and protégés. These screenings are free and will take place from noon until 9pm on both days.
Booking is now open for the public to attend any of the events, discussions or the symposia, by booking through Webtickets or at Pick * Pay stores.
Tickets cost R100 and R50 for students. All proceeds will go to the Baxter’s Zabalaza Theatre Festival.