STREET ARTISTS IN EUROPE - Fondazione Fitzcarraldo

6.3. Recommendations
246
Street Artists in Europe
- National agencies to take on the role of website host for street arts companies.These need to
create good databases with opportunities for video streaming and slide shows; and publicise
their existence to artists, programmers and other stakeholders.
- Funding to be prioritized to enable this to be set up and managed (a minimum of one per
nation) and effectively marketed to artists and programmers.
7. How much do professionals know about their field of work and elsewhere
7.1. Lack of information and knowledge
Lack of information is a major reason for artists not making more steps to get themselves into
other countries and is also a problem for many programmers.
Artists feel they do not know enough about other European festivals. They learn most by talking
to each other and festival directors. Some say they really enjoy large festivals where there are
artist resting and eating facilities, so they can meet performers from different countries. Some
good friendships have been made. Several artists feel that they are alone in not knowing what to
do. The degree of isolation felt by some is very disturbing. Much effort needs to be put into
generating artist participation in national networks.
The X,trax showcase in Manchester offers all participating artists a seminar together (before the
event) at which registered programmers are described, the artistic principals of their festivals,
styles of work they are looking for, sometimes available budgets and other points of interest.
This is always considered extremely useful by artists.
Programmers:
Some programmers also suffer from lack of information:
"We have very few contacts with any companies apart from French."
"…. lack of money to go and see and therefore get to know international work at festivals
abroad".
The international festival circuit is large and vibrant; programmers attending these meet each
other in different festivals, discuss companies, make plans to share work, tour projects, seek
inspiration. Every year there are more programmers looking for shows to bring to their events.
But there is still a very large number of people who know little about other festivals, especially
outside of their national (or regional) boundaries. It is enormously stimulating to visit other
festivals, partly to find work, partly to experience different ways of presenting shows, different
ideas for the shape of a festival, different ways people behave and relate to each other, the
artists, and other aspects of the town – green space, shops, cafes. It should be one of the great
attractions of Europe drawing closer, that people from different countries visit each other’s
workplaces as well as for holidays.
In discussions with festivals, there is a very wide difference in both knowledge of and
(surprisingly) interest in visiting other festivals. There needs to be better access to useful
information, encouragement to see travel as an important developmental tool and support to
programmers while at foreign festivals.
PE 375.307