That a festival with a 35 year history should be forced to suspend its activities is a shame. But when it is this festival, which has left such an important legacy! How many young people from the area have been given a training in arts production, administration, technical skills? How many local and international artists have been supported, developed, discovered by international promotors at Inteatro? How many international collaborations, productions, tours, exchanges have been initiated here? How many networks, IETM and IRIS to only name two, and let’s not forget that Inteatro is also the birthplace of the Roberto Cimetta Fund for Arts and Artists Mobility in the Mediterranean.
Such a festival is as much the patrimony of Polverigi and Ancona as any of its castles or palaces. It deserves to be honored and cared for as they are.
Inteatro has not stagnated over the period of it’s first 35 years: since its inception it has constantly modified, adapted and engaged with the issues and changes of the times. Inteatro has been anticipating and reacting to the developments of its audiences and artists and interacting with both local and global social and environmental concerns.
The financial crisis is a good excuse for all and any bad fortune at the moment, but it does not excuse the disengagement and disinterest of the local authorities in the past years. That Inteatro should have to suspend its festival due to the defaulting of a restaurant is ludicrous, non-sensical, and should lead the public authorities responsible for Inteatro and the Villa Nappi to initiate immediate structural changes which would make them less vulnerable to absurd events such as this and at the same time more able to flexibly and strategically manage their future with a protective and visionary management.
In a time when national governments call for austerity measures, choices have to be made. But these choices need to be made according to a developmental vision which supports local creativity, social innovation, national and international networking which facilitates the exchange of good practices and serves to reinforce the local community. Inteatro is not only ready to perform those roles, it has already proved itself doing it. The relatively modest financial public investment that Inteatro needs to realise its potential is clearly achievable. What the public authorities have to dig in their pockets for is their own comprehension and good will to support a treasure they are ignoring.
Mary Ann DeVlieg
Secretary General
IETM (international network for contemporary performing arts)
