John J Studzinski CBE, honoured by Prince of Wales

John Studzinski

John Studzinski has been honoured by the Prince of Wales for his support of the arts. John was one of the principal sponsors of the Treasures from Heaven exhibition at the British Museum and is a Patron of the charity, the Christian Heritage Centre, at Stonyhurst. He is also a Trustee of The Passage night shelter, founded by Cardinal Basil Hume OSB, and Vice Chairman of Human Rights Watch. He is a Knight of St Gregory and is also well known for his charitable work for the homeless and for human rights.

During the ceremony at St James Palace, the actress, Joanna Lumley, described John Studzinski as “tireless in his support and patronage of the arts worldwide. In the UK, his philanthropic work spans over two decades, and in 2001 his contributions in the field of the arts were formalised through the establishment of the Genesis Foundation. Since then, the Foundation has devoted over £10 million to opening opportunities to exceptional young artists from diverse backgrounds, setting them firmly on the path to fulfilling their creative and professional potential, and ultimately invigorating theatre, music and the visual arts in the UK.”

The Genesis Foundation works through partner programmes. It enables prestigious, progressive organisations in the fields of theatre, music and the visual arts to nurture outstanding young artists, developing their talents and giving them access to influential mentors and valuable networks. Even when the young artists have left the direct tutelage of the partner organisation, John continues to take an active and supportive interest in their careers.

Central to the Genesis Foundation’s work are its long-standing relationships with LAMDA, the Royal Court, the Young Vic, The Sixteen and Welsh National Opera. Meanwhile John has continued to be active as an individual major donor through his support for such organisations as the Tate and his chairmanship of Create London,

David Lan of the Young Vic describes John’s philanthropy through the Genesis Foundation as “far-sighted, concentrating on creating and nurturing emerging talent and providing long-term commitment and networks, as well as opportunity for people from diverse social and economic backgrounds.” In 2013 the Young Vic celebrated 10 years of support from the Genesis Foundation; through the Genesis Directors’ Programme, dozens of young directors have gained vital experience and valuable contacts, and the Young Vic has achieved further recognition as the UK’s leading theatre for professional development of directors.

LAMDA was the first arts organisation that John supported when he came to the UK from the US twenty years ago. The principles of this relationship informed the creation and priorities of the Genesis Foundation, which now endows LAMDA’s most substantial scholarships, offered each year to students accepted for the BA course in Professional Acting. John’s personal commitment to the academy remains unwavering.

Over a period of 17 years at the Royal Court, John and the Genesis Foundation have supported the theatre’s ground-breaking work with emerging international playwrights. The programme has nurtured hundreds of writers – from over 70 countries and writing in over 30 languages – through workshops, readings and productions, bringing a rich canon of stories to stages in the UK and around the world.

At the Welsh National Opera the Genesis Foundation supports an Assistant Director and a Trainee Repetiteur and John Studzinski counsels the WNO Advisory Board. Also in the field of vocal performance, the Genesis Foundation partners with the superb choral group The Sixteen. Central to this multi-faceted relationship is their young artists’ scheme, Genesis Sixteen, which nurtures the next generation of talented ensemble singers.

John Studzinski’s philanthropy is conceived to achieve maximum and sustained benefit for each of its recipients. His friends at the Royal Court praise him for making “an indelible mark on our country’s cultural landscape”, while David Pountney, WNO’s Artistic Director and CEO, has summed up his many contributions thus: “Through his Genesis Foundation John Studzinski has masterminded years of thoughtful, intelligently directed and considered giving to the Arts. This is sophisticated philanthropy at its best.”

Source: Lord Alton