Sponsored feature | One step closer to a dream-come-true opportunity

Giving back to the community it serves is Melco Resorts & Entertainment (Melco)’s philosophy on corporate social responsibility. All these years, the company has focused on seven major pillars: youth, education, women, culture, environment, responsible gaming and whole person development.
Mr. Lawrence Ho, Melco’s Chairman & CEO, launched the company’s signature Dare to Dream program in 2012 to encourage interest in the creative arts for Macau’s young talent. The program has gained international support from iconic creative legends and world-renowned maestros of the arts.

Learning with masters of the culinary arts

This September, Melco announced the latest offering of its signature program Dare to Dream in collaboration with world-famous chefs Alain Ducasse and Pierre Hermé.

Alain Ducasse is one of only two chefs to hold 21 Michelin stars throughout his career, and Pierre Hermé is acclaimed as one of the world’s best pastry chefs. Earlier this year, both master chefs opened their new restaurants at Melco’s latest hotel, Morpheus at City of Dreams.

Students from IFT with the team at Alain Ducasse’s restaurant at Morpheus, City of Dreams

This most recent Dare to Dream program offers a rare opportunity for third year students of the BA in Culinary Arts Management degree program at the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) to work with the teams of Ducasse and Hermé.

A student from IFT with the team at Pierre Hermé’s restaurant at Morpheus, City of Dreams
The winners will be invited to a 6-month internship; including 5 and half months with Ducasse and Hermé’s food and beverage outlets at Morpheus, followed by two weeks overseas at the chefs’ eateries in Europe or Asia.


Architecture for a modern era 


When it comes to the best architects in the world, it goes without saying that the late Zaha Hadid, who reshaped architecture of the modern era, would be among those at the top of the list. To provide an opportunity for Macau’s young talent to discover Hadid’s unique architectural aesthetics, Melco’s Dare to Dream program offered a local architecture student a once-in-a-lifetime chance to intern at the London headquarters of the world-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects.

Architect Carlos Marreiros, President of the Fellow Members Council, the Architects Association of Macau said, “We are delighted to be part of a visionary project such as Dare to Dream. Melco’s vision in nurturing youth through exposure aligns with ours to cultivate the next generation of architects in Macau, encouraging them to push the envelope and make the most out of the latest technology. We are confident these students are going to contribute significantly to the development of Macau.”

The best of the best performance
As the world’s best destination, Macau provides countless entertainment options for tourists from across the globe, and among the most famous of these is The House of Dancing Water show presented by City of Dreams and world-renowned theatrical director and producer Franco Dragone.

In 2012, Melco partnered with Dragone to offer a 10-day internship opportunity at the headquarters of Dragone Group in Belgium to work alongside a celebrated team of creative minds, further developing the competition winner’s interest and knowledge of the theatre design and live entertainment.

World-class competition for aspiring musicians


With the aim to help Macau’s young gifted musicians aged 25 or under reach high and maximize potential, the inaugural Dare to Dream program kicked off with a music competition hosted in collaboration with renowned pianist Mr. Yundi Li.  As one of the judges of the competition, Mr. Li presented the winner with the scholarship with MOP1 million; providing an opportunity to further develop the winner’s musical talent, broadening horizons.

Hands-on experience in fashion
The Dare to Dream series also created an opportunity for local budding fashion designers. Collaborating with Mr. Barney Cheng, featured on Forbes 2010 list of “25 most influential Chinese in Global Fashion” and the designer of employee uniforms of the recently opened Morpheus hotel, the program provided a rare opportunity for the winner to have an internship with Mr. Cheng.


“This has been an incredible opportunity for me to gain hands-on experience in custom design blueprint and to learn about international haute couture production. It has been a catapult in kick-starting my career in fashion, providing essential knowledge for developing my own fashion brand. ” said Ms. Ella Lei, winner of Melco’s Dare to Dream competition.

 

As Melco’s long-term signature program for whole-person development, the Dare to Dream series will keep bringing world-renowned artists and experts to Macau, to offer local young talent the opportunity to study with the best of the best in the creative fields.