STREET ARTISTS IN EUROPE - Fondazione Fitzcarraldo

Street Artists in Europe
ANNEX 2 - SECTION I:
STREET ARTS IN EUROPE: MOBILITY AND COOPERATION
Contribution by Fondazione Fitzcarraldo (Elena Di Federico under the direction of Maddalena
Rusconi) – January 2007 – in the framework of the study “Street Artists in Europe”
Introduction
The core problem for street arts in Europe is the lack of recognition: in most countries street
arts are not recognized as a real art form, but as entertainment. Thus, they are not involved in the
public financial support to culture, as it happens instead for indoor theatre and other forms of
artistic productions. Specific education centres and production centres too are missing, due to
this attitude, and street artists – as well as artists working in other fields – can encounter serious
problems in living on their artistic activity.
The lack of financial support from national public institutions and governments, linked on its
turn to the lack of recognition, is the main practical problem within the EU countries, with some
exceptions – notably France. Yet it is not to forget that the lack of funds for culture in general is
a common problem among many countries, not related only to street arts.
The keyword to bypass the lack of public support is networking. International – and national,
where existing – networks provide first of all a chance for meeting, discussion and confrontation
among members, fostering artistic and professional inspiration and building relationships and
trust; they are the starting point for projects aiming at supporting new productions and the
mobility of artists and companies, for education and performance. Also, international networks
are eligible for EU funds, thus bypassing financial problems of the single members.
Besides networking, lobbying would help street arts professionals to make their voice be heard
at the institutional level, but mindset sometimes hinders common actions.
At the same time, an awareness of common needs and problems is arising and the situation
seems to be slowly improving in most countries. Academic researches, debate and conferences
aim at focusing on the importance of street arts as a truly cultural production, having also a
social value – working on social cohesion of people with no distinction of social class or age,
helping recovering abandoned or problematic urban spaces. It is not to forget that street arts,
taking place in public spaces, involve all kind of people, including those who never attend
“classical” events such as indoor theatre, so that it can be a tool for approaching people to other
forms of art 367 .
The lack of recognition leads also to other two parallel problems: the lack of production
centres in many countries, on one hand, and the impossibility to live only on street art
activity, on the other. This means that in many countries street artists can only work at their
shows in their free time – because their primary work is different – and with limited budgets –
because they self-finance their productions – , thus needing long times – even some years – to
367 “There is growing recognition by funders and policy makers that street arts reach audiences missed out by
current live arts providers and attract audiences that hesitate to enter formal cultural spaces such as theatres
and concert halls”, states the Position Paper “Street Arts in Scotland”, written by Sreetnet in January, 2005.
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PE 375.307