STREET ARTISTS IN EUROPE - Fondazione Fitzcarraldo

Street Artists in Europe
festivals cuts off costs and companies have sure bookings, granting them the chance to be seen
and known by other professionals and festivals 384 .
Last but not least, cooperation allows festivals and companies to get a truly international
dimension.
In general, the importance of cooperation practices are explained by the words of a professional:
“I believe 1+1 is not always 2, it can be 3 or more, it depends on the relations between 1 and
1…”.
3.2. Obstacles to cooperation
The lack of public money is the main obstacle named by the organisations contacted, also
concerning cooperation projects – and, above all, concerning co-productions.
Some operators then state that in their country there is not the habit of cooperating with other
partners, as the traditional mindset leads to a mostly independent and individual work. Yet
cooperation is recognized as a possibly useful tool to make bigger and more successful
productions, so a change in the mindset is encouraged.
3.3. Ways to support cooperation
Local institutions and private sponsors (including local TV) sometimes provide money to pay
for the travel and accommodation of companies.
Sometimes the support received from private sponsors consists not of money but of tools, cars,
buildings etc., easier to receive.
• Festivals as promoters:
Some of the main festivals contacted act as “showcases” for other festivals and companies: they
give national or foreign companies the chance to perform within their festivals, thus showing
their works and getting the opportunity to be contacted by other festivals in other countries. For
instance, the Spanish festival contacted has a cooperation projects with the main festivals held in
the other regions of the Country, and each year they are granted to perform in the main one –
which has a high international recognition; the festival contacted held in Romania created a
“Bourse du spectacle” which allows foreign companies to provide information and materials to
the professionals interested, so as to made themselves known within the festival.
• International cultural organizations:
Local expressions of European organizations (e.g. Goethe Institutes in Germany, Arts’ Council
in UK, Instituto Cervantes in Spain, local bureaus of Istituto Italiano di Cultura) are a good link
among different countries and festivals.
The Spanish interviewee stresses the importance of proximity: “we have for instance a very
good collaboration with Istituto Italiano di Cultura because it has a bureau here in Tarrega and
the president works as a link between Spain (mainly Tarrega) and Italy! Being neighbours it is
384 Coproductions therefore can be very helpful for companies settled in countries with no production centres.
Companies can ask financial support from a festival: once their new show is ready, they go and perform for free
in that festival (and in the other which eventually have supported the production), also more than once. When
this kind of cooperation is at the national level, it generally fits only for small productions, while at an
international level bugger productions are possible.
276
PE 375.307