Creative training program at Palace of Versailles to boost youngsters’ skills

The Misk Art Institute of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Foundation has given 10 young Saudis the chance to train at the Palace of Versailles in France. The joint project, part of a fourweek training program to develop young people’s creative skills, began on Aug. 19 and is the first of its kind in the Arab world.

The training program at the Palace of Versailles, one of the most historic locations in Europe, aims to develop creative skills in six areas: The arts, museums, landscaping, marketing, tourism and human resources. is part of Misk Art Institute’s initiatives to support Saudi artistic and creative life and contemporary dialogue, especially through cooperation with distinguished international platforms in the field of innovation and arts.

The Palace of Versailles is considered one of the most important platforms in the world for its distinctive artistic designs where different civilizations intermingle. Its history dates back to the 17th century. It was first used as a hunting lodge, then as a place for political authority before it became an international museum in the 19th century.

The palace includes gardens, a park and a number of historical buildings. Its collections include more than 60,000 pieces of art that reflect the palace’s double identity; it was where France’s kings lived and the Royal Court was held, and it later became a museum dedicated to France’s glory, inaugurated by LouisPhilippe in 1837.

Misk Art Institute’s training program, in collaboration with the Palace of Versailles, is one of the initiatives that aims to develop and encourage the Kingdom’s arts capabilities and improve the Saudi and Arab level of art, with the empowerment of exchange and international cultural dialogue.