Appeal of culture councillors:Suspension of performances unjustified

Following the decisions made by the government in the new DPCM today, Oct. 25, ordering the closure of cinemas, theaters and concert halls, a number of culture aldermen have expressed their disagreement in an appeal. “The suspension of performances appears unjustified,” they read, and “the measure just taken against the performing arts will produce disastrous economic effects for an already hard-pressed sector, and above all will deprive our fellow citizens of a very important tool for sharing and social rapprochement.”

Below is the text of the letter.

To the President of the Council of Ministers Giuseppe Conte

To the Minister for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism Dario Franceschini

To the Minister of Labor and Social Policies Nunzia Catalfo

To the Minister of Economic Development Stefano Patuanelli

Dear President,

Dear Ministers,

the measure taken today in the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers ordering the suspension of performances in theaters, cinemas and concert halls, affects the Italian production sector that more than any other has been able to take effective and responsible measures in combating the epidemic spread from Covid-19. Statistical evidence shows that today precisely theaters and cinemas are, by virtue of the sense of responsibility shown in the application of medical and sanitary measures by managers, workers and the public, the safest places in the country, along with museums, exhibition spaces and other cultural venues, kept open by the Decree. In this light, the suspension of performances appears unjustified given that the measures ordered instead consider other activities compatible, which by their very nature cannot guarantee the levels of protection adopted in performing arts venues, for the public as well as for operators.

Moreover, the performing arts sector, which employs hundreds of thousands of professionals, is one of the most relevant productive sectors in Italy, and has recently recalled from the CIG almost all of its workers in order to guarantee decent pay and proper treatment of the various professionals involved: these are the women and men who have put in their extraordinary efforts to reopen theaters, cinemas and concert halls in full compliance with health protection protocols.

As public administrators responsible for cultural policies in our territories, we follow with extreme apprehension and concern the trend of Covid-19 contagions, and we are aware that new restrictive measures are -without a doubt- necessary to counteract the recrudescence of the Virus in our country.

However, we believe it is necessary to bring to your attention that the measure just taken against entertainment will produce disastrous economic effects for an already hard-pressed sector, and above all it will deprive our fellow citizens of a very important tool for sharing and social rapprochement, in full respect of physical distancing: in the history of democracies, the social resilience of communities, especially in its most critical and painful moments, has always been based above all on the possibility of sharing cultural experiences.

Adhering with conviction and spirit of service to the “loyal and active collaboration between the institutions of the Republic”-to which the Head of State referred in his speech-in order to “defend the primary good of life, containing the contagion and dealing with its consequences, health, social, economic.”

- we consider it opportune and necessary to revise this provision, as soon as possible, so that theaters, cinemas and concert halls can reopen before the Decree’s effective date, especially if the contagion-tracking analyses of the past two weeks confirm the low, or zero, incidence of entertainment venues in the epidemic spread;

- we demand, pending the reopening of theaters, cinemas and concert halls, an immediate activation of social shock absorbers, concrete and effective, for all entertainment workers, with particular attention to professionals whose activity is characterized by intermittency, occasionality and precariousness, which has course and validity as early as Monday, October 26.

In the certainty that we can count on your full consideration of what has been expressed, we renew our willingness to concert measures to make the reopenings of performing arts venues in our cities and throughout Italy even more effective and safe.

The appeal was signed by Tommaso Sacchi, Councillor for Culture - Florence,

Luca Bergamo, Deputy Mayor with responsibility for Cultural Growth - Rome,

Filippo Del Corno, Councillor for Culture - Milan,

Eleonora de Majo, Councillor for Culture and Tourism - Naples.

Barbara Grosso, Councillor for Cultural Policies, Education,

for Youth - Genoa,

Francesca Paola Leon, Councillor for Culture - Turin,

Matteo Lepore, Councillor for Culture and Tourism - Bologna,

Paola Mar, Councillor for Heritage, Promotion of the City, University and Toponymy - Venice,

Paolo Marasca, Councillor for Culture - Ancona,

Ines Pierucci, Councillor for Cultural and Tourism Policies - Bari,

Paola Piroddi, Councillor for Culture - Cagliari.

Appeal of culture councillors:Suspension of performances unjustified

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