MUSIC MAN: Mugler’s link with the performing arts continues, with the launch of its first social program, which provides scholarships to promising contemporary music and dance students in financial need.
Called the Mugler Creators Program, it selects 16 young talents scholarship opportunities, so that they receive funds to help make their dreams come true.
Starting this scholastic year, the program is donating 175,000 euros to institutions located in the U.S. and U.K. Plans are afoot to expand globally in the future.
In the U.K., the program has partnered with Trinity Laban, which has contemporary music, dance and singing programs. It also partners there with the national support organization for dance One Dance U.K., which promotes dance as a viable career pathway. Mugler Creators Program selected the receipients for the country.
Program partners in the U.S. include Purchase College and the Purchase College Foundation, which has conservatories such as The Conservatory of Dance. College teachers with the Dance Board of Study chose the scholarship receipients in the U.S.
“For over 50 years, the connection between the world of performance and the house of Mugler has been unbreakable,” said Danièle Lahana-Aidenbaum, global brand president of Mugler Fashion & Fragrances, in a statement. The brand is owned by L’Oréal.
The late Thierry Mugler, founder of the namesake label, and the brand have forged deep connections in the arts through the decades, including with James Brown, Diana Ross, David Bowie, George Michael, and, more recently, with Dua Lipa, Black Pink, Bad Bunny and Beyoncé.
“Today, it fills me with pride and joy to offer talented young artists the chance to transform their dreams into reality, inspiring the next generation of performers to reach their full potential with the help of the Mugler Creators Program,” continued Lahana-Aidenbaum.
“We’re confident that these generous shcolarships will help our dancers focus on their training and will enable them to graduate with less financial strain,” said Darrah Carr, director of The Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, SUNY.
Mugler Dance Project, Laban Conservatory.
Photo by GREG KESSLER/KESSLER STUDIO / Courtesy of Mugler
“We are delighted to partner with Mugler and One Dance U.K. on the Creators Program, which aligns with our commitment to breaking down barriers to accessing the arts,” said Anthony Browne, princapal of Trinity Liban.
“We believe that young people from all backgrounds should have the opportunity to pursue their creative ambitions, and we are thrilled that this program will enable these students to study with us, empowering a new generation of musicians and dancers,” he said.
British-Tunisian director Félicity Ben Rejeb Price directed a film featuring volunteer students from Purchase College and Trinity Laban. Movement design was choreographed by Cain Coleman, an alumnus of Purchase Dance and commissioned guest artist, and Stephanie Schober, a professor at Trinity Laban.
