STREET ARTISTS IN EUROPE - Fondazione Fitzcarraldo

Street Artists in Europe
with interventionism, recognising the need for the State to intervene in cultural sectors that
would not be viable if the law of the marketplace were applied blindly 220 .
According to the Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe 221 , Portugal’s cultural
policy focuses on four main objectives: decentralisation and development of professional
networks, international dissemination of Portuguese culture, improving professional
qualifications in the cultural sector and, lastly, promoting cultural diversity aimed at balanced
support for the various forms of culture. In that context, it is easier to understand why there is no
dedicated department for street arts under the Ministry of Culture. Accordingly, the respondents
to the survey note that street arts are a very recent artistic development, dating back less than
five years. They certainly tend to be regarded as an artistic activity, but mainly in the field of
animation. 222 . Nevertheless, the Institute of Arts, which comes under the Ministry of Culture, is
allocating ever more aid to street arts projects.
Street artists are calling for aid for the entire field of theatre arts. Since 2004 the main artistic
disciplines (dance, music, theatre) have been joined by cross-disciplinary projects. Street arts,
like the new circus, now come under those budget headings. In fact most requests for aid come
from local authorities, such as the towns hosting these events in order to promote free cultural
activities for the people; they are the main sources of funding for street performances. Some of
them may provide financial support for street performances and for their dissemination, whilst
international tours may receive funding from the Office for International Cultural Relations of
the Ministry of Culture, the Department for International Affairs of the Institute of Arts or the
Camões Institute under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Promotional centres may also apply for
subsidies from the Institute of Arts or from private foundations such as the Calouste Gulbenkian
Foundation.
A new impetus seems to have emerged in recent years. Street arts are now becoming better
known and more widespread, especially now that they are flourishing in France and other
European countries. Portuguese organisers and programmers are showing an increasing interest.
Given the poor level of public intervention, the professional sector is finding it difficult to
organise itself: 2004 saw the first meetings of street arts companies; in 2005 the ‘Movimento
das artes de rua’ signed the first street arts manifesto 223 , evidence of the emergence of a
rudimentary but real dynamic force. Moreover, street arts now accompany other national events,
such as the 2004 World Cup when the government decided to promote and present
performances of street arts in several Portuguese towns.
3.2.2. Italy
Cultural policy in Italy gives strong priority to national heritage, which accounts for more than
40% of world heritage listed by Unesco; live performance has never been a priority and the
budget allocated to it in 2000 accounted for only 10% of total spending on culture 224 . The Italian
institutional system is marked by a move towards decentralisation in which the State continues
to play an important role 225 . After the Fascist period, the Ministry of Culture was closed down.
In 1985 a first framework law was adopted to enable the State to intervene in support of live
220 All these historical and institutional data are taken from the Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in
Europe, Council of Europe/Ericarts, op. cit.
221 Ibid., p. 5.
222 Reply to the survey by a member of Artelier – Association Teatro Nacional de Rua (Loures, Portugal).
223 Reply to the survey by a member of Artelier.
224 Lacombe, Robert, Le spectacle vivant en Europe: modèle d’organisation et politiques de soutien, op. cit. p. 321.
225 Ibid., pp. 332-337.
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PE 375.307