White paper on creativity - ebla center

Chapter 13place creative invention at the service ofspecific functional needs.Similarly, the interior structure of atheatre owes its quality to a combinationof technology and aesthetics in whichthe creative components are crucialboth in elaborating technical solutionsand designing the appearance of theauditorium. Having spread throughoutthe country, the so-called Italian-styletheatre (i.e. with stacked semi-circles ofboxes round oval-shaped stalls), is oneof the most important treasures of thenational heritage. From the Teatro dellaPergola, which was declared a nationalmonument by Mussolini, to the host ofsmall-size theatres scattered throughoutthe country, especially in towns inTuscany, Umbria and Emilia-Romagna,these theatres are an excellent exampleof the typically Italian blend ofcraftsmanship, decoration, aestheticinvention and technical skill.The tiny Teatro di Bibbiena in theprovince of Arezzo, restored in the late1990s, today appears exactly as when itwas built in the 18th century: itsbalusters, bulging columns, parapets andstairs are an exact reproduction of theoriginal stone structure but made offibreglass. Non-deformable andenduring, this reconstruction materialhas preserved the style of the originaltheatre. Only by touching the columnsdo theatre-goers realise that they arelooking at a new combination oftraditional forms and innovativematerials.The performing arts is thus one of thesectors in which creativity is expressedin a variety of forms and ways, and forwhich it is a significant indispensableinput. This applies not only toindividual creative skills but also to thefecundity of the whole system in whichcreative ideas find an effective groundfor their systematic development. But tofacilitate the systematic gelling ofcreativity, we must not only focus onindividual talents. We must alsostructure the institutional framework,the working methods of the productionsystem and the distribution network forcultural products. The following analysisaims at highlighting the major profiles inthe performing arts sector in order toindicate its strengths and critical pointsbefore going on to suggest some simpleguidelines for enhancing the value anddevelopment of creativity.13.2 Opera, Italiana ma nontroppoOpera came into being in 16th-centurycourts as a complex cultivated stagedspectacle and then developed from thelate 18th-century as a more popular artform. It has all the ingredients to attractvast mixed audiences because of itsfinely-honed immediacy in describingsentiments and dramatising theirdynamics. Audiences in the 19th centurywere so strongly attracted to opera thatproductions were even packaged intouring versions to visit towns withouttheatres: the Carro di Tespi travelledround the country with operacompanies and productions ofdebatable quality, but satisfied thedemand for the emotional involvementprovided by theatre. In future thisdemand was to be met by film,WHITE PAPER ON CREATIVITY 298