The peculiarity of a national system goes hand to hand with the specificity of public and private theatres.
Published on 11 May 2015
Indeed, the current situation in Italy presents both of these factors, but the first has undergone a sort of a gradual “data logging” that addressed it to a very specific audience (the elderly that continue attending an old-fashioned and more traditional theatre); the second, on the other hand, is generally not finding an efficient way to promote its activities and to communicate how the contemporary language could be suitable for a younger audience. In this line of reasoning, a note must be made about the children’s theatre system; their establishment and development is crucial to feed a new generation of spectators. Among the numerous companies that work for the young audience, only a few are really committed in this important task, while the majority orbits in a closed circle in which the primary and secondary schools (often pursuing not really daring scopes) mainly limit themselves to the usual fairy tale reinventions and cheap staging. This is obviously a rough generalization, there are some very virtuous examples that try to invert this trend.
Even though the recent advent of musicals (which is by the way an exclusively metropolitan phenomenon) has been pulling spectators in and pushing the taking up, at a wider look – also but not only due to a general economical shifting – the role of theatre is certainly not prominent in contemporary Italian society. And yet, even if marginal, a lively community is moving around.
Published on 11 May 2015
Published on 6 May 2015
#4 THEATRE PRACTICE
The situation of Italian theatre from the point of view of the artists is determined by their choice (or opportunity) to approach a linear high levelled training or to attempt a more independent ascent to popularity or, at least, to visibility.
Published on 30 April 2015
It is obviously impossible to trace a coherent line that summarizes the current trends in Italian theatre. This is because Italy indeed presents a vital as well as fragmented geography from a cultural point of view. The great diversity of economil possibilities that can be experienced by an artist from one region to the other gives birth to a rather complex view made out of many diverse aesthetics, trends and even trains of thoughts about theatre-making and production models.
Published on 30 April 2015
To draw a short portrait of the contemporary performing arts criticism in Italy it is necessary to underline its marginality within the frame of the mainstream press and communication. As can be seen in the specific paragraphs, the traditional location for the criticism—the newspapers and the academic debate– has been deeply changing. Nowadays, it’s really difficult to make a living out of art criticism.
Published on 30 April 2015
Compared to the European average, Italian investments in culture are fairly high. Given the great abundance of historical monuments and artistic tradition, most of the support is offered to museums and projects of conservation and the promotion of cultural heritage. The Ministry of Culture grants a special fund to fiction films and documentaries with proven cultural interest. Taking no notice of the criteria that discipline such fund – very often not clear and very gratuitous—it’s very important to notice that no such reward is granted to a work of theatre of the same quality. At least not at a national level. The only support that a theatrical project can receive on the basis of the cultural value of its content comes from local administrations, whose economical situation deeply varies from region to region. This is just one example of the degree of relevance attributed to theatre development by the national cultural policy. As things are, most of the time the fate of a theatrical project is in the local politicians’ hands.
Published on 30 April 2015
