The new Cala del Forte port, located in Ventimiglia and servicing the Principality, is undergoing renovations to lessen the impact on moored boaters who have reported excessive movements in port.
Cala del Forte is owned by Monaco Ports and was officially inaugurated in July 2021. After complaints from users, work began on creating an artificial reef on 19th October to lessen the effects of wind and tidal shifts on moored boats.
“The port of Cala del Forte will benefit from the protection offered by the ‘banana’ (shape of the reef), since it will make it possible to remedy the agitations of discomfort observed in the event of gusts of wind from the southwest,” says Aleco Keusseoglou, President of the Monegasque international port company (SMIP), in a press release.
Works began when the first barge full of rocks arrived on the scene, weighing some 8,000 tons. This will be the base of the reef, with the total cost coming in at about €4.7 million, which will be used to construct a coastal protector 120 metres long at a depth of seven or eight metres.
The emerged section will be four metres high with an embankment. In total, the site will require 120,000 tons of rocks and stones.
Said Keusseoglou of the materials’ origins, “Two thirds of the materials will come from quarries in the Trapani region (Sicily), and the remaining third, which will constitute the emerged part of the reef, will be made up of blocks from local quarries (Bevera), as required by landscape regulations.”
Additionally, an environmental aspect has been taken into account says the SMIP: “There will be no negative impact on the environment, because the use of any element other than the planned blocks made of inert stone material of natural origin is banned.”
The 16th edition of the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival is featuring 11 dates with an eclectic schedule of performers ranging from 1960’s progressive rock legends Jethro Tull to Cuban Jazz with Bona/Rodriguez.
This year’s Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival is going to be one to remember! Running from 9th November to 4th December at the Opera Garnier Monte-Carlo, the line-up is sure to have something for everyone.
The event starts off with a reunion of the electric quartet of Redman, Mehldau, McBride and Blade: A Moodswing Reunion on 9th November, followed by a special Master Class conference with Alex Jaffray at the Salon Eiffel at the Hermitage Hotel on the 12th.
Then on 23rd November, classic rock stars Jethro Tull return to the stage with their quirky brand of flute-infused rock. The next night on the 24th will be Jazz and Cuba with Richard Bona and Alfredo Rodriguez featuring Michael Olivera and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, with Matt Brewer and Eric Harland playing hip-swinging, get up and dance jazz with a Latin twist.
Next up on the 27th are French jazz rockers Magma and the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra playing side by side in a show blending two worlds to great effect. Two nights later on the 29th is Jazz and Modern Music, a special event put on by the young talents from the Académie Rainier III.
Then there’s two concerts in one on the 30th with Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner and Sofiane Pamart performing jazz and rhythm and blues numbers.
On 1st December, to start the month off right, there will be a Tribute to Chet Baker film screening at the Audio-Visual Institute of Let’s Get Lost by Brice Weber. The following night, on the 2nd, a concert by sultry American singer and composer Melody Gardot will hit the spot for true jazz aficionados.
On the 3rd, Richard Galliano and Anour Brahem will share the night but not the stage in a two-fer concert experience. The Anour Brahem Quartet will play their brand of instrumental music whilst Galliano will demonstrate a different approach with his New York Tango Trio.
The last night has been set aside for Chilly Gonzales. The Canadian musician, songwriter and producer comes for one night only, closing the Festival on the 4th and bringing down the house with him.
Far from the Mediterranean shores he knows best, Prince Albert II has travelled to the Indian Ocean to join a 150-team of scientists and researchers aboard the S.A. Agulhas.
The #MissionOcéanIndien2022 left Cape Agulhas, the African continent’s most southern point and where the Atlantic Ocean officially meets the Indian Ocean, on Monday 3rd October. Its first stop was Mauritius seven days later before heading to the French overseas territory of La Réunion. The Monaco Explorations expedition will soon reach Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles archipelago, before sailing back to Mauritius. In total, the mission will cover 7,300 nautical miles – or 13,500km – in two months.
Most recently, the team aboard spent a week in the Aldabra atoll and it was here that Prince Albert II met with Jean-François Ferrari, a Seychellois minister for fishing, and Flavien Joubert, the minister for agriculture, climate change and the environment, on Monday 24th October.
Together they spoke with Doctor Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, the CEO of the Seychelles Island Foundation, to learn more about the biodiversity of the islands and to sign a proclamation to establish a cooperation of research and conservation of the region’s coral reefs between the Scientific Center of Monaco, the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco and the Seychelles Islands Foundation.
“What strikes me today is that expertise and research in the maritime field have never really been priorities,” said Prince Albert. “The ocean remains largely unknown. Yet it holds so many treasures. A better knowledge of them is essential to ensure the protection of our planet.”
Prince Albert II at the helm
On Tuesday 25th October, Prince Albert II joined the S.A. Agulhas and its crew, getting a personal tour of the vessel and its highly developed laboratories from Captain Knowledge Bengu. Ever keen to get involved, the Prince took the helm of an ROV, a remotely operated underwater vehicle, that had been deployed to a depth of 700 metres – a record-breaking depth for this zone of the ocean.
“[The Indian Ocean mission] mobilises significant resources: one of the largest oceanographic vessels in service and an international team of around 150 people representing some 20 nationalities and a wide range of profiles: seasoned scientists, young researchers and students, artists, filmmakers and photographers, divers, communicators, and members of civil society,” says the director of Monaco Explorations, Gilles Bessero.
The flagship of the expedition is the S.A. Agulhas II, a multipurpose vessel of 134 metres that was built in Finland in 2012 and chartered by Monaco Explorations for this unique expedition. The ship is designed for navigating in ice and recently won acclaim for its role in finding Sir Ernst Shackelton’s Endurance, which sank in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica in 1915, in March of this year.
Prince Albert II tours the S.A. Agulhas II. Credit: Nicolas Mathys
“An adventure addressed to all humanity”
Prince Albert II travelled ahead of the S.A. Agulhas II on Wednesday 26th October in order to meet with the president of the Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, as part of a diplomatic visit in Mahé. It was an opportunity to discuss all he had learnt on the Aldabra atoll and the wider goals of the Monaco Explorations mission.
The objectives of the expedition are to: “understand, analyse and evaluate the state and functioning of the ecosystem of the area”. It hopes to mobilise governments through diplomatic action, and help contribute to a sustainable management of maritime spaces by sharing the issues faced by the region and the knowledge gained thanks to the expedition with as many people as possible.
“The Monaco Explorations are at the confluence of most of the themes which are dear to me and which in this respect resonate particularly in me,” said Prince Albert. “It is an adventure that also echoes the most beautiful traditions of the Principality, and is addressed to all humanity.”
The S.A. Agulhas is expected to be back in Cape Town on Wednesday 30th November.
In an effort to step out of the shadow of her famous father, Ghizlan El Glaoui created a new style of art using backlight to give life to her portraits. Now, she’s taking that concept to the seas.
Born in Morocco in 1969, Ghizlan spent much of her childhood in the studio of her father – world renowned Moroccan artist Hassan El Glaoui. She was his muse, posing for portraits amidst the exotic surroundings of Morocco and France, inhaling all the history that had been set by her grandfather, the last Pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Glaoui.
Ghizlan actually credits Sir Winston Churchill for the path that she is on. The former UK prime minister had convinced her grandfather to send his son to study art in London after seeing one of the horses he had painted behind a desk. They were to become a defining feature in Hassan’s work, and he an inspiration for Ghizlan.
Today, Ghizlan El Glaoui paints portraits, mainly women, using vivid colours and metallic paints to capture the light, reminiscent of the glittering mosaics of the Byzantine Empire. She uses the ‘golden ratio’ technique, learned during her art studies at the Académie Charpentier, “the measurement you choose for perfection,” she tells me. “Leonardo da Vinci used it on the canvas before he would paint over it. I like the comfort of the mathematics behind the beauty, and I like the fact that I cannot get the proportions wrong.”
Geisha by Guizlan El Glaoui
El Glaoui also uses backlights that shine through the canvas, the remote controlled warm and cold LED light filtering through the material to create a translucent effect.
“I did that because, being the daughter of a famous artist, I needed to invent something. People were saying, ‘your father is famous, let’s see what you can do’, as if – firstly, you are a woman, and secondly, you are attempting a career when your dad is in a museum, you will always be in his shadow.”
But, says Ghizlan proudly, she established her own way, and Hassan opened the doors that allowed his daughter to do portraiture in a heavily conservative, Muslim culture.
“In that particular culture, you’re not supposed to follow your creativity and passions. It’s very difficult for a woman to shine in this masculine world and I’m proud of making sure that women shine more than men (in my art),” says Ghizlan. “It is the beauty of a woman, the soul of a woman, the multi facets of a woman which I am fascinated by.”
The addition of light behind the canvas brings another dimension to her work, a bridging of modern and classic, an inner light and aura that gives life to her portraits, exposing the subject’s strength.
Among them is Princess Grace. “My favourite models are women that have succeeded in their life,” reveals Ghizlan. “Grace Kelly succeeded in Hollywood; she became the most prestigious artist in the world. And then there was the beautiful love story with Prince Rainier and her arrival here.”
Guizlan El Glaoui’s portrait of Grace Kelly (centre) has been gifted to her son, Prince Albert II of Monaco
Ghizlan is gifting the Grace Kelly portrait to Prince Albert, and he has promised to hang it in the Palace. She has also painted another member of the Grimaldi family – Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline. But it was commissioned by Gad Elmaleh, and then the couple broke up, so that portrait of the beautiful young Charlotte hangs in Ghizlan’s art room.
“When I go to a different country, I try to adapt to that country,” she says. “So, when I went to Madrid, I painted Toreros and flamenco dancers because I wanted the people of the country to feel that I was into them, not just my own muses.”
Monaco’s Princess Charlene is next on the list, says the artist: “She has a very sculptural silhouette, and gorgeous shoulders and neck.”
Today, it is also her new concept, ‘Art to Sea’, which has gathered us here at the private salon of La Môme, overlooking the Mediterranean. Art to Sea is similar to her illuminated paintings in that her canvasses are enhanced by light, only this time the canvas is a colossal sail, and the light is the natural sun that radiates through them. Images of a giant Brigitte Bardot floating gracefully across the water sells the dream.
Art to Sea by Ghizlan El Glaoui
“A sail is the biggest canvas on the planet,” says Ghizlan, “but it’s always been on my mind that the canvas was so empty and virgin of anything. I just thought, it’s a pity because obviously the light could be the sun, the canvas could be the boat sail, and the sea is the gallery.”
It is a bold and spectacular concept that is sure to lead Ghizlan El Glaoui on another bright path. To see more of Ghizlan El Gaouri’s work, visit her website: https://www.ghizlanelglaoui.com
To hear the full interview between Monaco Life’s Cassandra Tanti and Ghizlan El Glaoui, click on the Podcast at the top of this article.
Prince’s Foundation to launch 3rd Environmental Photography Award
The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is inviting photographers to send in their best snaps on topics pertaining to environmental protection and nature, with the goal of raising awareness for the plight, and the beauty, of the world around us.
Inaugurated in 2021, the Environmental Photography Awards organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (FPA2) is an excellent opportunity for photographers interested in nature and the world around us to show off their talents for a good cause.
The now-annual contest, which is held in association with Barclays Private Bank and SEK International University, asks shutterbugs to help raise awareness of important environmental issues and encourages them to show not just the beauty of the world, but also the detrimental effects of humanity on ecosystems.
“Building on the success of the first two editions, we wish to continue to develop the Environmental Photography Award and, through it, the reflection on our relationship with the world and with nature,” says Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and CEO of the FPA2. “We are pleased to note the growing interest expressed by international photographers, who are participating in ever greater numbers in the competition, but also the attention gained by a wide public through the exhibitions that we have been able to offer in the Principality, but also in Italy, San Marino, Spain and the United States.”
The contest allows for a broad range of interests and acceptable themes that include Polar Wonders, Ocean Worlds, Into the Forest, Humanity Versus Nature and Change Makers: Reasons for Hope.
How to enter
Entries will be accepted between 2nd November and 15th January 2023, and can be uploaded to Photocrowd, a dedicated platform for the contest. It is free to enter and photographers can submit up to five photos in each of the five categories of the competition. The link for entries can be found at www.photocrowd.com/fpa2.photoaward.
A panel of judges, all professional photographers, will select the shortlisted and winning images. The public will also be given a chance to vote for their favourites via the competition’s website for a two-week period starting 3rd April 2023. Additionally, Monaco’s secondary school students will, for the first time this year, be invited to vote on the shortlisted snaps and will be treated to an awareness-raising presentation and discussion on today’s major environmental issues.
“Photography is a very powerful way to give a voice to endangered wildlife and environment,” says Sergio Pitamitz, President of the Jury. “In the panorama of world photography, there are countless photo competitions dedicated to nature, but few are those that are really committed to the real conservation of nature and the environment. The Environmental Photography Award competition, organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, is one of them.”
5,000€ and the chance to photograph the Ecuadorian jungle
The Grand Prize is 5,000€ and an invitation to visit the Amazon Research Station at the University of Ecuador, where they will participate in a photo documentary of the Ecuadorian jungle.
Winners in each category will receive 1,000€, and both the Public Award and the newly added Student’s Choice Award will receive 500€.
Winning shots will be presented in an exhibition in Monaco, before touring internationally. They will also be published the Environmental Photography Award catalogue.
Photo by Monaco Life
Monaco to welcome new British School in Fontvieille
A brand new and entirely British education establishment is about to open its doors to primary students this November. Monaco Life spoke to the team behind the school to find out more.
Sapientia in Humilitate (Wisdom in Humility) is the motto of the British School of Monaco, and the motive, say co-founders Luke Sullivan and Dr.Olena Sullivan-Prykhodko, is to nurture kids to be curious, kind, courageous and capable of coping in a complicated world. The motto is designed to guide British School students to become ever-improving and lifelong learners.
The school will follow the EnglishNational Curriculum, with a strong focus on Literature and the use ofEnglish across all subjects. Significant French lessons will be offered as a first or second language on top of this. Games afternoons will be dedicated to the traditional sports of football, rugby, tennis, hockey, etc.
It adds an alternative and entirely British schooling choice to Monaco families, already served by French and International schooling systems. With an initial intake of 20 students (age five to 10 yrs), it will eventually welcome 96. Headmaster Dr. Stuart Bradley, previously Head of Primary at The Sultan’s School in Muscat, Oman, leads the teaching team.
British born and raised, Luke Sullivan grew up in London and Sheffield,and attended Birkdale School and Bristol University. He is a veteran educational entrepreneur who set up the Monaco-based private tutoring business Modelex in 2016 with his wife and business partner Olena. Olena has a background in law: In 2018 she was National President of the Jeune Chambre Économique de Monaco (JCI Monaco), and in 2021 she was international Vice President of JCI. Luke and Olena met in Monaco in 2014 and married in 2016 in Ukraine.
Luke Sullivan and Dr. Olena Sullivan-Prykhodko, co-founders of the British School of Monaco
Says Olena, “I went to school at Gymnasium 47 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Most people say their best years were at university but for me it was school. It was definitely like a second home for me and I have very fond memories of it. I loved English and I was quite good at Maths. Unfortunately, the school was destroyed a couple of months ago because of the war. So for me, creating a wonderful, nurturing environment with the British School of Monaco is deeply personal.”
Not only is the school entirely English speaking, it is also family run,explains Luke. “It is 100% run and owned by Olena and I,” he says. “Everything we do, we pour our hearts and souls into, and with every single member of staff we hire, we are looking for that particular individual who will fulfil the key role within this brand new school.”
Academically ambitious with a curriculum strongly focused on literature and literacy, the admissions process is designed to ensure that families are certain the school is a good ‘fit’ for them. Says Luke, “We have a straightforward conversation about the school with the family and hopefully there’s a good meeting of minds and everyone understands each other’s approach to education and values.”
The student assessment is not, says Luke, a high-bar academic entrance exam, but a way to understand the pupil. “It’s a way to get to know their level and make sure certain fundamentals are in place, because you do need those in the early years of a new school, and then making sure there is a good click between the student and the teacher.”
Along with the school values – integrity, responsibility, respect, kindness, courage, curiosity – the school aims to encourage self-reflection, resilience, adaptability and balance in its students. “In each lesson we want to focus on the ability of the student to reflect on themself as a learner and the ability to adapt success, to overcome hurdles: If they get knocked down, to get back up again stronger. We live in an increasingly polarised world with increasingly extreme views on either side of debates, and the ability to hold a balanced view seems to be getting lost in the midst of all that. We want to put this front and centre for our students as they develop their own views and opinions,” says Luke.
British School of Monaco interior design rendering
To create this nest of nurture and values-focused learning, the founders believe there are certain things they need to get right from the outset, and that starts with the dress code: the uniform. The pair believe it is important particularly in a place like Monaco with such a diverse range of cultures and nationalities.
The British-style uniform of navy and grey is emblazoned with a blue, gold and white school logo: a sword-brandishing lion rampant, an image that commonly symbolises courage, nobility and strength. The design incorporates both traditional and modern elements, reflecting the strong traditions that the school draws upon alongside its forward-thinking curriculum and approach to education.
Explains Luke, “One thing we want to be very clear about is the values of the school, who we are, what we stand for, so that all the parents understand what they are buying into and what they can expect from their kids’ education. Part of that is the uniform. If all kids wear the traditional British School uniform, it’s a way of standardising their appearance. This is important to us because it means the conversation can shift from what they are wearing and how they distinguish themselves throughtheir clothes, to how they distinguish themselves through their character and behaviour. We want a school that focuses on human qualities and human characteristics. Having a uniform is a way of moving the conversation onto those elements. It also helps students to feel part of a team and part of a community, with a strong identity defined by a clear set of values.”
The uniform includes a British School of Monaco watch designed specifically to help pupils learn to tell the time.
Attendance in the specially designed classrooms at 8am, avenue de Fontvieille, is another non-negotiable. Students need to turn up on time and attend school 100% of the time,says Sullivan. “Sloppy attendance and punctuality degrade the values of the school and set a badprecedent to other families. Once values start to degrade the institution loses its backbone, so for us we are very strict on attendance because a cornerstone of education is turning up.” There is a process in place forthose who frequently fail to make-it to the school gates on time.
The development of the school has been swift, says Luke, after years of building the foundations and refining their approach to education. “Since tutoring back in 2009, I have always just taken the most positive next step I could find. And if you always take good next steps the journey will take care of itself.”
After meeting Olena in 2014, the idea of creating a British school together began to form, and the rest of that story will now one day be part of Monégasque history.
Photos source: Modelex
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