Free Baroque music concerts

For lovers of the hauntingly beautiful genre, three Baroque music concerts will be held at St. Charles Church in early December, reserved for Monaco residents only.
On 1st December, concert-goers will be entertained by Misteri Gloriosi, The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary in Baroque Italy, performed by La Fenice Ensemble and conducted by Jean Tubéry. The evening will feature works by Frescobaldi, Merule, Fasolo, Cazzati, Cima, Grandi, Florimi and Monteverdi.
Then on Thursday 3rd December, a Baroque masterpiece will be rediscovered when the Ensemble Baroque de Monaco, conducted by Mattieu Payrègne, performs L’Assunzione della Beata Vergine by Alessandro Scarlatti. This concert will be held with the support of SOGEDA Monaco.
Finally, on 4th December, fans will enjoy a Musical Journey into the Europe of the Enlightenment by 18thcentury English musician composer and musicographer Charles Burney. This will be narrated by Nicolas Vaude and accompanied by violinist Pierre-Eric Nimylowycz and programme designer and harpsichordist Olivier Baumont.
The concerts are being organised by the Department of Cultural affairs for Monaco residents only and admission is free, subject to availability of seats. As with every event held during these extraordinary times, there will be strict social distancing and health measures in place.
 
Photo by Monaco Life, all rights reserved
 
 

Free laptops part of Digital Transition plan

The Principality has taken a huge step towards the digitalisation of schools, offering over 1,200 laptops to be used by students and incorporated in to new learning strategies for teachers.

Minister of State Pierre Dartout was personally in charge of handing out the computers on Monday, which were accompanied by textbooks and software chosen by local teachers.

Joining him was Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario, Interministerial Delegate in charge of the Digital Transition Frédéric Genta, and Director of National Education, Youth and Sports Isabelle Bonnal, who all shared in the experience of seeing a modern middle school class in digital action. 

“The Digital College, through its equipment, software and new practices, responds to three challenges: an educational issue by promoting the educational creativity of the teacher and better learning for students, a cyclical issue linked to Covid-19 in order to facilitate educational continuity outside the classroom, and a generational issue to train the talents of tomorrow that the country needs and to offer the best opportunities to our young people, who must master these tools and know how to use them responsibly,” said the Minister of State.

According to Patrice Cellario, parents, teachers and students have been involved in the process since the start of the project so that their needs are fully taken into account.

“To successfully take over this equipment and build skills over time, tailor-made support has been put in place,” he said.

Not only will the teachers be able to offer tailor-made support, they will also be able to teach in more interactive and interesting ways for students who are used to fast-paced environments and are extremely computer savvy.

“For the students, this digital learning method will enrich the approach of a multitude of subjects,” said Frédéric Genta, “such as modern languages ​​by dubbing a film, for example, history to be discovered via online quizzes, French through collaborative writing and audio-visual illustration work or geography by browsing sites in 3D. But the added value will also be expressed in the acquisition of digital skills for the 21st century, in the establishment of pedagogical continuity in the classroom and outside the classroom, with the added bonus of lighter binders since the textbooks are digitised. Finally, for teachers, it will make it possible to vary learning resources, to consolidate their pedagogy and to innovate more easily in their teaching.”

Isabelle Bonnal added, “Thanks to the equipment of college students, we are concretely entering the era of augmented education. It will be possible to capitalise on our strengths while developing new ways of learning. This transition is certainly digital, but it is also educational.”

Monaco schools have already implemented compulsory programming courses starting with kindergarteners, as well as commissioning EduLab Monaco, a centre which trains teachers how to best work with digital education tools for use in the classroom.

 
Photo ©Manuel Vitali/ Government Communication Department
 
 

Millennials driving sustainable investing

New research from Barclays Private Bank shows that the younger members of wealthy families are pushing ESG investing, acting as a common ground for the different generations in financial planning, despite competing priorities and different views towards risk.
Barclays Private Bank’s Smarter Succession: The Challenges and Opportunities of Intergenerational Wealth Transfer research, undertaken by global intelligence business Savanta, identified that two thirds, or 68%, of older High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) say that their children have been leading the family on sustainable and responsible investment matters.
As a result, sustainable investing is now resonating with more high net worth HNWIs of all ages and generations, uniting families around shared goals of investment responsibly and making financial returns. One in 10 of all generations say that having a positive environmental impact is a top personal aim, and 37% strongly agree that responsible investing is now important to them, demonstrating the potential of ESG issues to align with overall wealth objectives across generations and bring families together around securing their financial future.
Furthermore, for around four in five of each of the studied age groups, investing responsibly is important to them to some extent, with 81% of under 40-year-olds, 77% of 41 to 60-year-olds and 86% of over 60-year-olds agreeing.
Changing family attitudes are shifting portfolio allocations
Changing attitudes have led to a substantial shift in the way HNW families are investing, with almost four in five – 78% – expressing their views on social and environmental responsibility in their investments.
This shift is highest in the UK with 83%, and the Middle East with 82%. India is lower in comparison, but still with 62% investing with social and environmental considerations, this indicates that there is a significant international movement towards a more sustainable investment approach.
For those who aren’t already investing this way, 22% of the elder generations would like to find out more about their sustainable investment options, and 19% are interested in understanding more about investing specifically for positive social and environmental impact, suggesting that the trend is likely to continue to grow.
Finding sustainable common ground in succession planning
Sustainable investing may provide a place for common ground between the generations, where issues such as risk appetite continue to bring conflicting views from different generations. 61% of family members cite different risk appetites between the generations as affecting the direction they collectively take on investments.
High net worth families say that broadly different life values (57%), the impact of social media (47%) and differing educational backgrounds (40%) are also areas that are contributing to different outlooks and priorities between the generations, and in turn affect financial and succession planning.
Half of this millennial generation say that these factors contribute to them feeling that their overall financial aims and objectives are not understood by the rest of the family.
Older generations passion for philanthropy
Philanthropy is another area where the younger generations are taking a role in using family wealth to positively affect the world, but in contrast to sustainable investing, charitable giving tends to be led by the older generation, showing that each age group is finding different ways to give back to society.
Over 60-year-olds more commonly say that philanthropy is their passion (38%) than the under 40-year-olds (20%), but in the majority of families (74%), the older generation hands responsibility for managing philanthropic activity to their children.
“Our research shows how the younger generations, who have been engaged longer with sustainable investing, are providing a vocal impetus within their families to shift the perspectives of older generations,” said Damian Payiatakis, Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing, Barclays Private Bank. “As well, most of the narrative around sustainable investing focuses on the benefits for your portfolio alongside people and planet. Now, we can see its potential benefits for aligning your family around shared values and supporting intergenerational wealth transfer.
“With the heads of the families thinking about succession planning and investing beyond their personal lifespan, our conversations has extended to include how sustainable investing can secure their children’s future, their readiness to inherit family wealth, and a common ground for family discussions around wealth.”
 
Photo source: Pixabay
 
 

Men unite for anti-violence against women day

As part of the International Day to End Violence against Women on 25th November, a Monegasque campaign has turned the spotlight onto men – the silent allies of victims of domestic violence.
Princess Stéphanie’s son Louis Ducruet, ex-Formula One racer David Coulthard and Champion Diver Pierre Frolla are among 100 men who have united for the campaign, created by SheCanHeCan and Fight Aids Monaco, and supported by the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights in Monaco.
“Domestic violence is often seen as a woman’s problem,” Vibeke Brask Thomsen, Director of SheCanHeCan, told Monaco Life, “Like when we say ‘gender’, we think of women, or when we say ‘race’, we think of people of colour, or when we say ‘sexual orientation’, we think of homosexuals – as if men don’t have a gender, white people don’t have a race, or heterosexuals don’t have a sexual orientation. This approach allows the majority group, in this case men, not to pay attention, as long as domestic violence is seen as a women’s problem.”
The campaign launched on Monday 23rd November and features portraits of 100 men, each with a message he chose to share, such as “Hitting a woman will never make you a man” or “I say no to violence against women”. The images are visible on the websites and social media networks of SheCanHeCan, Fight Aids Monaco and the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights.
Participants were also invited to take a pledge for equality promising to continue their actions to make equality a reality in their daily lives.
“We must remember that the majority of men do not perpetrate violence against women, they don’t find it ok, and they don’t support it,” said Ms Brask Thomsen to Monaco Life. “We call them the silent majority because we don’t hear from them enough. The aim of this campaign is to shine light on the majority of men who are against violence and whom we seldom hear. Our aim is to portray them as allies.”
According to a statement by Josep Borrell, Vice President of the European Commission, “The scale of the problem remains alarming: one in three women in the European Union have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.”
These numbers are only the tip of the iceberg, as this type of violence remains largely unreported due to the stigma and shame surrounding it. As a result, many perpetrators go unpunished.
And for many, the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have only made the situation worse.
“Domestic violence is seen as something to be dealt with in the private sphere, that we shouldn’t interfere with,” said Ms Brask Thomsen. “But the entire community has a role to play in challenging a culture which allows such violence to take place. In the end, it’s the small actions which can really make a difference: don’t laugh at that joke, don’t catcall women on the street, don’t sexualise young girls or focus on their appearance instead of their achievements, don’t use vocabulary such as ‘don’t cry like a girl’ or ‘you run like a girl’ in negative terms. Be a positive role model for younger boys, allow them to show their emotions, to teach them it’s ok to cry and be the good guy.”
To mark International Day to End Violence against Women on 25th November, the Prince’s Palace, the Conseil National and the Tour Odeon will all be lit in orange to show support for victims of domestic violence worldwide.
A conference on the theme ‘The justice system confronted to intrafamilial violence’ hosted by Robert Gelli, State Secretary for Justice, will take place on 26th November at 6pm at the Lycée Technique et Hotelier in Monaco.
To register for the conference, email: dfm@gouv.mc.
 
 

December performances for Monaco Ballet

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo has two upcoming ballets they will be performing at the Grimaldi Forum, giving Covid-weary dance lovers an early Christmas present.

The first ballets, Dov’é La Luna and Opus 60, will be performed together over three shows. Dov’é La Luna features seven dancers who solemnly explore the place between life and death and darkness and light. Opus 60, created by Jean-Christophe Maillot, is an upbeat tribute to his upcoming 60th birthday and is a reminder of the passing years.

There are two 8pm shows being performed on 11th and 12th December, and a matinee show will be held on 13th December at 4pm.

The next ballet, coming up on 18th and 19th December at 8pm, is the classic fairy tale of Cinderellareimagined by Maillot. In this version, the title character is surrounded by a vain, idle family that only cares for material goods. Cinderella is against this kind of world and chooses simplicity, with the stripping down of her life symbolised by her bare foot. It doubles as a celebration to the part of the body that makes dance possible.

Both are excellent holiday treats for those looking to make this year’s Christmas a bit brighter.

 
Photo by Alice Blangero
 
 

Community Award recognises Casino staff efforts

The Casino de Monte-Carlo has been honoured with a Community Award for commitment shown to the public during the pandemic and efforts during the #StrongTogether campaign.
The accolade was presented on 18th November by the Industry Gaming Awards for the Casino’s work during the health crisis. It is the third award to be received by the Casino this year. Monaco’s most famous landmark has also taken out the Casino of the Year for the second year running by the Global Gaming Awards, as well as earning Best Gaming Operator UK and Europe 2020 from the International Gaming Awards.
The Community Award recognises the Casino’s efforts during the #StrongTogether campaign, created by parent company Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) in March. Intended to remind people of the need for solidarity in trying times, the campaign was also a way to let people know they were not alone. It brought a message of hope to a public struggling to understand the full impact of a global crisis, and used Monaco’s colours as a background, showing dedication to the community.
Under the #StrongTogether banner, charitable actions were put in place by employees of the SBM to support nurses and other frontline workers dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Fundraising events were organised, and meals were prepared by employees and delivered to Princess Grace Hospital staff as well as to the retirement homes in Monaco.
It was these non-profit actions of the Monte-Carlo Casino that made it stand out from the other gaming industry finalists nominated for the award.
“The Community Award rewards the Casino de Monte-Carlo for its solidarity action supported by all the employees of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group and conducted during the crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Jean-Luc Biamonti, Deputy Chairman of SBM “an action in favour of the community and relayed nationally. This is a new recognition by our peers of our vision of gaming in Monaco, of which we are particularly proud.”
 
Photo © Government Communication Department / Michael Alesi