In Italy, festivals threatened by a drop in public funding
Giorgia Meloni's Italian government has decided to change the criteria for classifying the country's festivals, leading many to face reduced funding. This is a bad sign, according to La Repubblica.
In Italy, the government is dealing a severe blow to a number of artistic events, reports La Repubblica . A government commission has just ratified new evaluation criteria for the public funding allocated to them. “This method extends to dozens of cultural events, many of which will see their subsidies for the period 2025-2027 drastically reduced or even completely eliminated,” the Italian daily reports.
The allocated funds are decreasing by just over one million euros to 16 million, and it is mainly their distribution that is changing.
Among the first to be affected is the Teatro della Pergola in Florence, one of the country's most prestigious venues, which is losing its status as a "national theatre." It is directed by Stefano Massini, a prominent writer and director who has publicly criticized the Italian government, which has been led since October 2022 by Giorgia Meloni (far right).
"Cutting subsidies to a theatre is a severe blow to both its reputation and its finances, but above all it is a very clear signal to artists who do not respect the government's line," said Giorgia Meloni, the newspaper.
Another major theater institution affected is the Santarcangelo Festival, a series of performances dedicated to the performing arts held annually in Santarcangelo di Romagna, a town in Emilia-Romagna ruled by the center-left. The event's ratings have plummeted, significantly impacting the holding of this major event in Italian culture for the past fifty-five years.
