Fosun Foundation and Lincoln Center for Performing Arts Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement

As the center of global arts and cultural activities, just in the days of United Nations’ Assembly, New York will be welcoming the Inaugural Lincoln Center Global Exchange conference. As the sole top-level partner in China, Fosun Group will be supporting the holistic event and live twitting the remarkable gathering of global thought leaders and elites. Fosun Group’s Vice President, Fosun Foundation’s Vice Chairman Mr. Haifeng Li, and Mr. Wu Yang, President of Bund Financial Center (BFC) are honored guests to attend the event. They will discuss how art connects the world in various sectors with different topics.

The event aiming to promote arts and cultural exchange through the world's elites’ discussion has attracted participation over 200 key opinion leaders. It will engage and involve the dialogues and promote changes in commercial, political, educational, media, technological and artistic fields. Featured guests are Eric Schmidt, Executive President of Alphabet (formerly Google), Eduardo Paes, mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, President of the Rockefeller University, Jane Chu, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, renowned artist Ursula von Rydingsvard, Nobel laureate in medicine Dr. Eric Kandel and Pandora’s Chief Musical Architect Nolan Gasser.

Gathering at Lincoln Center’s main symposium, Fosun Foundation also announces it has signed the memorandum of understanding for strategic partnership with the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The partnership between two leading institutions in their respective countries, each with its landmark location, will be sure to promote Sino-American cultural exchange and international cooperation in the areas of arts and education. It is also the first in-depth partnership as an initiative to advocate of the global exchange.

The partnership between Fosun Foundation and Lincoln Center dates back to this April.  When Wang Jinyuan, Chairwoman of Fosun Foundation, Li Haifeng and Catherine Lv, Youth Director of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts visited Lincoln Center upon its invitation. Both sides made initial exchange on further cooperation. In May, Jed Bernstein, President of Lincoln Center, together with managing director Kara Medoff Barnett and director Keith Lieberthal, paid a return visit to Shanghai and visited Fosun Group’s beehive conceptual masterpiece – the Bund Financial Center. Bernstein highly appreciated BFC’s design concept and role for the city. In particular, he expressed great interest in Fosun’s Arts Center at BFC’s core area and was greatly appreciative of Fosun’s efforts in promoting public arts and cultural events. “In order for the arts and culture to play their core role, they must necessarily require visionary thoughts and active participation,”he said.

Thus, it comes the “serendipity” or fateful destiny between Lincoln Center and Fosun. “Fosun Foundation is also very much looking forward to our partnership with Lincoln Center. We all hope to bring the international artistic and cultural resources to China and showcase them on Fosun Arts Center for local audience. Meanwhile, we will combine our knowledge and experience in promoting arts and cultural activities in China and all over the world to jointly play our roles as cultural ambassadors between the East and the West. We believe it will help advocate for the global exchange efforts as well,” said Mr. Li from Fosun Foundation.  

BFC’s Mr. Wu also briefed the Lincoln Center about the history of the Bund and its significant role in the economy and culture of the Far East. He also described in details the geographical location, design concept, business layout and construction progress of BFC. Both Wu and the Lincoln Center guests had a thorough exchange on future performing programs and activities in Fosun Arts Center. BFC and Fosun Foundation expressed great interest in Lincoln Center’s program for performance by children and training program for children’s arts.

According to Mr. Wu, as the Chinese economy undergoes rapid growth, the booming middle class is nowadays more amenable to pursue activities that cater to its spiritual and emotion needs. He hoped that in-depth cooperation between the parties will not only meet such needs, but will also offer greater opportunity for residents in the Greater Shanghai region to be brought closer to the global art events through continuous educational programs, training and interactive projects. Wu said that the establishment of Fosun Arts Center was not only to seek financial gains, but more important, fulfilling Fosun’s core corporate social responsible values: Creating greater social benefits, creating more opportunities for the next generation to be exposed to diversified arts and culture, and giving more opportunities to children in relation to the arts.

Founded in 1962, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is the world’s largest venue for the arts and is among the arts venue of highest standard in the U.S., covering a number of venues including theater, opera house, concert hall and outdoor concert hall. It enjoys an indisputable reputation in arts world. Indeed performing artists take pride in being given a chance to perform there. Each year Lincoln Center will select an exclusive number of major international partners to present top-notched artistic performances. The Center upholds the highest standards with respect to its selection of international partners – the latter are required to present exceptional performances whether quantitatively or qualitatively, and the cultural development projects managed by them should be among the best worldwide in terms of scope and scale. For its partnership with Fosun Foundation, Lincoln Center will maintain and pass down cultural heritage while also giving support to emerging creative ideas. Together with Fosun Arts Center, it will spare no efforts in creating a platform for cultural exchange for leaders in different regions and industries throughout the world.

No less important in the unique partnership is Fosun Arts Center, a cultural and artistic highlight in BFC’s cluster of buildings. Its inspired design draws elements from traditional Chinese opera stage, resulting in a multi-textured artistic space surrounded by movable curtains. Both its internal and external spaces provide a multi-angle artistic perspective and experience. Aiming to be a major international cultural venue Fosun Arts Center will be unremitting in its effort to transform buildings in the Bund into cultural and artistic platforms. Upon its completion it will become the Crown Jewel for the arts in the Bund’s financial cluster. The addition of Lincoln Center means that one can expect a feast of international extravaganzas to be showcased in Fosun Arts Center, enriching the lives of local residents.

Furthermore, BFC’s public space such as shopping center foyer and office building lobby as well as open plaza can be utilized to present outstanding programs from Lincoln Center and related promotional activates. There is no doubt the partners will fully use such quality space available in BFC. Details are currently in discussion between them.

The partnership between Fosun Foundation and Lincoln Center is an example of Fosun Group’s “Combining China’s growth momentum with the global resources” in the areas of arts and culture. Fosun Foundation will continue to embrace the spirit of openness and work with world-class artistic and cultural institutions through Fosun Arts Center. Its goal is to link China’s enormous consumption power for culture with international arts and culture brands and services, so as to offer rich and diversified cultural products and services to meet the needs of Chinese customers. Ultimately it sets out to create a healthy, pleasant and trendy eco-system that is based in China but is capable of integrating global industries.