18 August 2008: Barclays Wealth announced three-year sponsorship of Esplanade's da:ns festival

Barclays Wealth, the wealth management division of Barclays, today announced a three-year partnership with The Esplanade Company Limited that will see it become the Festival Principal Sponsor of Esplanade’s da:ns festival up till 2010.

The da:ns festival features a mix of international and local productions showcasing some of the best talents in today's dance scene, across all dance genres from classical to the contemporary. Barclays Wealth will host private banking clients and prospects at various performances during the duration of the da:ns festival staged from 9 to 19 October 2008, allowing them to sample a wide variety of art forms. There are also masterclasses and workshops where clients and their children can participate.

Mr. Didier von Daeniken, Chief Executive, Barclays Wealth Asia Pacific said, “Barclays Wealth is delighted to forge this long-term partnership with Esplanade to bring the da:ns festival to everyone in Singapore over the next three years. Our choice of sponsorship of the da:ns festival allows positive association with quality performances across various dance genres. This enables our brand to reach the widest audiences possible, and ensures that our clients' diverse interests in the various dance forms can also be met."

This partnership marks Barclays Wealth’s first foray into arts and cultural sponsorship in Singapore. Barclays is the sponsor of the Barclays Singapore open golf tournament, which is Asia’s richest national open with a purse of US$5 million. It is also the largest sports sponsorship in Singapore’s history.

Mr. von Daeniken said: “This is the first time that we are sponsoring the arts in Asia. We chose Singapore because it is an important private banking hub for Barclays Wealth in the region and it is a signal of our commitment in enhancing our brand visibility in this key market. Dance as an art genre is a relative “greenfield” in terms of sponsorship by private banks in Singapore. this sponsorship allows us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.”

Added Mr. von Daeniken: “For us, dance illustrates innovation, teamwork and pursuit of excellence – all attributes of our brand and values. Dance is also about expression, stretching the limits of the physical and daring to be different. It is probably the most athletic of all art forms and is a good complement to the sports sponsorship that Barclays is renowned for.”

Barclays Wealth’s commitment to the arts also reflects the responsibility the company takes towards the communities it operates in. “In Singapore, our partnership with Esplanade will allow us to bring the performing arts to both local residents and visitors, and particularly to our valued clients many of whom are connoisseurs of art and culture. The enormous arts and cultural sponsorship we observe today is a new phenomenon that simply cannot be financed solely by public institutions alone. At Barclays Wealth, arts and cultural sponsorship is just one of our many ways of giving back to the local community,” said Mr. von Daeniken.

For further information contact:

Barclays Wealth
Gan Lee Meng
+65 6308 3772 / leemeng.gan@barclaysasia.com