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Month: April 2021

Excitement set to return to Monaco with Historic GP

by: Cassandra Tanti
13/04/2021

Monaco is revving up to host its first major public event since the onset of the Covid pandemic, the Historic Grand Prix. Tickets are selling out fast for the late April race amid uncertain health guidelines and ongoing travel restrictions in France.
After it was forced to cancel the 12th Historic Grand Prix of Monaco in 2020, the Automobile Club of Monaco (ACM) is in full swing for this year’s event, with 170 competitors primed to compete and stands throughout the Principality ready to welcome fans.
It marks a major milestone for both the ACM and Monaco, with thousands of spectators set to fill the Principality, injecting some much needed energy into a country that thrives on hosting events.
But with less than 10 days to go, the government is yet to provide any specific health guidelines for spectators.
Meanwhile, France’s “light lockdown”, which includes a 10-kilometre travel restriction, is not due to be lifted until the first week of May. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether Monegasque authorities will actually prohibit French citizens from entering the Principality for the event.
It hasn’t stopped tickets from going on sale though and, according to the ACM ticketing website, there are on average only 10% of seats still up for grabs. Stands at Quai Albert 1er and Piscine Plongeur are close to sold out.
While it remains uncertain what health documentation spectators will be asked to provide, the ACM, when contacted by Monaco Life, suggested that negative PCR tests would likely be required, particularly for foreign visitors.
The Historic Grand Prix of Monaco will serve as a precursor to the Principality’s most famous and highly-anticipated event, the Monaco Grand Prix, which is set to take place less than a month later.

READ ALSO: “We are preparing for every possible scenario”

The 2020 edition of the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco was meant to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the creation of the World Formula 1 Championship. This year, the club will still pay homage and commemorate the first win for Ferrari in Formula 1.
For two and a half days, competitors will share their passion for competition at the highest level of motorsport, in real races, surrounded by the sounds and smells that characterise their cars.
Fans can expect a fight between “voiturettes” in the A Series; four iconic Maserati 250F models facing a diverse range of single-seaters with front engines in the B Series; a rich C Series with sports cars; and F1s from the 1960s in the D Series.
One third of the E Series will consist of cars powered by 12-cylinder engines, Ferrari, Matra and BRM, in addition to the F Series with three former Grand Prix drivers and a multiple winner of Le Mans 24 Hours.
Last but not least, the G Series will host more recent F1s in a large variety of colours.
There will be seven races in total on a street circuit that is 80% the same as it was in 1929.
The 12th Historic Grand Prix of Monaco will take place from 23rd to 25th April. Tickets can be purchased online here.
 
 
Photo by The Development of Birmingham on Flickr
 
 

Top Marques postponed for 3rd time

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/04/2021

Organisers of the hugely popular local event Top Marques have made the decision to cancel this year’s show and return in June 2022 for what it hopes will be favourable post-Covid conditions.
In the third rejiggering of dates this year, the organisers of the Top Marques Monaco announced on Tuesday that the show will be pushed from September 2021 to 8th to 12th June 2022.
“It has obviously been a difficult decision to make, but as it stands, conditions are not in place today for the event to be held with total peace of mind,” Salim Zeghdar, CEO of Top Marques said in a statement. “The lack of visibility and international restrictions still in effect have forced us to reluctantly postpone the 17th edition of Top Marques Monaco until next year.”
The postponement is a disappointment to visitors and a blow to the Principality, as the event is a big drawcard, bringing with it large international crowds, good press and a lot of money. But organisers are looking at the setback as a positive, allowing things to settle down on the health front to allow a more “normal” post-Covid environment.
“This new date will allow us to welcome our exhibitors and our visitors, many of whom come from abroad, in the best possible conditions,” Zeghdar said.
“My team and I are already working on the organisation of what we hope will be an exceptional edition. We are looking forward to promoting the luxury transport industry and its innovations throughout the Principality and beyond. We are preparing a number of surprises, as well as working on several novelties for the event, it’s going to be an amazing celebration of the automobile.”
Top Marques has been a Monaco staple since its first edition back in 2004. Called “the most exclusive automobile show in the world” by the New York Times, it is an annual luxury and supercar event attended by many of the car industry’s heaviest hitters.
The event features not just one-of-a-kind gems, but is also a showcase for innovative vehicles that may just turn into the cars of tomorrow.
Ticket holders can seek reimbursement from the same channels that tickets were purchased through, namely FNAC Spectacles or direct from the Grimaldi Forum.
 
Photo by Alexander Migl, via Wikimedia Commons
 
 

White Card campaign draws global attention

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/04/2021

This year’s White Card campaign has been another huge success, reaching over 170 million people with its inspiring stories, including one from former Olympian Prince Albert.
The White Card campaign, organised by Peace and Sport for the eighth year and celebrated on the 6th of April, asked people all over the globe to go online and share their personal stories and photos. Reaching 170 million people, the inspiring stories of hope and understanding poured in from everywhere, including the Palace of Monaco, where Prince Albert II revealed his own.
Each year since 2014, the organisation Peace and Sport has held a digital event called White Card. Using a play on the sporting worlds use of yellow and red cards, the white card is meant to be a positive, used “as a sign of commitment to peace efforts worldwide and where small actions make a difference.”
This year, over 200 stories were registered on the event’s site, along with a photo of the person who offered the story holding a white card. The topics range from tales of gender equality, intercultural and interreligious understanding to social inclusion, peace education, youth empowerment and reconciliation.
Prince Albert II, a five-time Olympian, contributed his own personal story of what participating in the games meant to him, saying, “My experience in the Olympic Village during the Olympic Winter Games allowed me to meet athletes from other cultures and forge relationships on an equal footing. This learning has always been with me and has contributed to my understanding of the world as Head of State. On the occasion of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, I am raising my White Card to promote the universal values ​​of sport.”
The Prince’s family has a history of Olympic participation, with both his uncle, John Kelly Jr. and grandfather, John Kelly, having been former Olympians themselves.
The Prince was joined by sports figures, political leaders, diplomats and beneficiaries on the site.
Peace and Sport was founded in 2007 by Joël Bouzou, a Modern Pentathlon Olympic Medalist and World Champion. The association uses “the power of sport” to promote peace. They bring together NGOs, United Nations agencies and academics on the peace side, and Olympians, athletes and international sporting federations on the sport side to implement sport programmes in parts of the world affected by social instability, poverty and war.
“It is fantastic to see once again such a massive and diverse expression of support to the peace-through-sport movement,” said Bouzou. “We have received exceptional White Card stories of Champions for Peace, famous and committed athletes, coaches, children, women, men and passionate people from all over the world. I want to thank H.S.H. Prince Albert II for His contribution making this positive dynamic even more meaningful.”
The White Card site was visited by 170 million people in 117 countries this year, and in the coming months, the organisation will continue to collect stories and feedback to keep spreading the good word.
To read these inspiring stories, visit the website at www.april6.org
 
Photo source: Peace and Sport
 
 

OPMC spring schedule

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/04/2021

The Philharmonic Orchestra of Monte-Carlo (OPMC) is continuing with its busy spring schedule, although some changes have been announced due to health restrictions.

On 15th April, the popular Musical Happy Hour event, this time featuring chamber music, has been pushed forward to 4pm rather than 8:30pm. The concert features musical interludes by Debussy, Takemitsu, Bax and Mereaux and will be held at Maison de France.

On the 18th April, a free concert featuring works by Bach will be held at the Saint-Charles Church at 4pm. Peter Szüts will conduct the orchestra and violinist Sibylle Duchesne Cornaton will be showcased.

Pianist Arcadi Volodos will be performing on Sunday 2nd May, but instead of the concert starting at 6pm, it will now have a 4pm start. Volodos will be playing a selection from Brahms, Clementi, and Schubert at the Auditorium Rainier III.

Another Musical Happy Hour will be performed on 4th May at 4pm rather than 6:30pm at the Auditorium Rainier III featuring chamber music by Chostakovitch and Mendelsohn and performed by well-known violinists, cellists and violists in the Principality.

An evening of piano with Jorge Gonzalez Buajasan will now be an afternoon on Sunday 3rd May. The concert, conducted by Stanislav Kochanovsky and featuring works by Chopin and Tchaikovsky, will take place at 3pm at the Auditorium Rainier III. 

Also at the Auditorium Rainier III, pianist and artist in residence Alexandre Kantorow will perform pieces by Russian composers Glinka, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky under conductor Jérémie Rhorer on 16th May at 3pm.

On 29th of May, renowned Monte Carlo Philharmonic conductor Kazuki Yamada will lead Elisabeth Leonskaja on piano and contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux performing a concert featuring Berlioz and Brahms highlighting the dawn and summit of Romanticism. The show starts a 8pm at the Grimaldi Forum.

Rounding out the month of May, on the 30th at 6pm, Kazuki Yamada again conducts soprano Mari Eriksmoen, countertenor Matthias Rexroth, Baritone Adrian Eröd and the City of Birmingham Symphony Choir perform works by Bartok and Orff. This unmissable event will be held at the Grimaldi Forum.

For more information and tickets, visit the Philharmonic’s website at www.opmc.mc

 
Photo of Kazuki Yamada – OPMC
 
 

Monaco to host world’s first international streaming film festival

by: Cassandra Tanti
12/04/2021

The Principality will roll out the red carpet for the pioneering new Monaco Streaming Film Festival this summer, drawing industry heavyweights for a dynamic “festival-meets-summit” experience and an awards ceremony to celebrate the best in the streaming industry.
It was announced on Monday that the inaugural edition of the Monaco Streaming Film Festival (MCSFF) will take place from 3rd to 6th July at the Grimaldi Forum, just ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, allowing organisers to capitalise on the world’s most famous film festival while drawing attention to the future of the industry.
The event was co-founded by Netflix Founding VP Mitch Lowe and, with over 200 streaming platforms available to viewers globally, it will play an important role in bringing together content creators and talent, media and technology innovators in an industry that has hit overdrive with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We believe the industry has blossomed during the pandemic and offers the public access to exciting international content at a time when they need the world of entertainment and choice to come to them through their streaming platforms,” Tony Davis, CEO and Founder of MCSFF, told Monaco Life. “We aim to create an accessible and inclusive event that will support all content creators wishing to produce and showcase their work.”
The four-day hybrid festival includes premiers, an awards night, VIP receptions, a marketplace and a conference featuring talks by key personalities including Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak.
Organisers will leverage streaming technology to power the event, opening it to a global audience with a significant portion of virtual-only content and remote panels. The Grimaldi Forum’s new LED TV “wall” and broadcast studio will play a key part in helping to deliver the technology-driven festival.
The MCSFF is being organised in conjunction with major Hollywood streaming studios, the Princess Grace Foundation USA and the Global Environment Movement Association (GEMA) Foundation.
“It is important to show and bring to light the elements of our environment which are of great concern as well as all the solutions and efforts around solving them,” GEMA Co-Founder and Managing Partner Christian Moore told Monaco Life. “The MCSFF will play an important role in highlighting film makers and documentarians who bring these subjects to light.”
The festival will also present the first ever Princess Grace Award of Monaco, celebrating Princess Grace’s legacy in the film industry.
 
READ ALSO: New video wall for hybrid events
 
Photo of the Grimaldi Forum by Monaco Life
 
 
 

Monaco creates short May break

by: Stephanie Horsman
12/04/2021

The government has taken on the advice of the parents’ association and will offer students three additional vacation days in May to make up for the abrupt change in the spring break schedule.
After talks with the Parents of Students of Monaco Association on 6th April, the Monegasque government has decided to give students a bonus week of holidays in May.
No classes will be held in the Principality from Monday 17th May to Wednesday 19th May inclusive. Add to this the two scheduled vacation days of the 20th and 21st, which are traditionally offered for better organisation of the Grand Prix weekend, and students will have an entire additional week off school.
The leisure centre will be open to accommodate students on the newly appointed dates.
The decision was made to allow families to spend more time together, as well as to give students a beneficial half term break, outside the one currently in effect until 26th April.
The half term break was originally scheduled for 22nd April to 10th May but was brought forward when France went into lockdown and mandated all students take half term at the same time this year rather than the usual staggered system. Monaco habitually follows the same holiday schedule as the neighbouring Alpes-Maritimes region.
Without this extra time allowed by the Monegasque government, students would be required to attend school from 26th April until the end of the school year in July, with the exception of a few days off for public holidays and events.
Meanwhile, Prince Albert visited Saint Charles school on Thursday to learn more about the Principality’s new education tool My Class being utilised by students in CM1 and CM2. The innovative digital tool aims to teach children the French language using cartoons. The programme can also be used by parents for homework.
 
 
Photo of Prince Albert and Isabelle Bonnal, Commissioner General in charge of National Education, participating in a class at Saint Charles, by Eric Mathon / Prince’s Palace