Lessons of Florence

There is an ex-chiesa (de-sanctified church) called San Francesco which has been the home to an ONLUS (charity organization) which helps the homeless here in Florence.  The homeless need help everywhere but here there is also the challenge of culturally accepting that this sort of service is essential to a city’s health.  When I went to the meeting with the lady who runs the ONLUS - Aurora is the name of the organization - she had many questions for me about how the United States deals with charity and volunteer organizations.  She had heard so much about our openness to help each other and our structures of services.  Then she showed me an article to support her frustrations.  The current Assessore al Sicureza (Minister of Security) has been concerned with “cleaning up” the city.  Part of the direction he gives to his police force is to remove the blankets Aurora gives to the homeless from them at night in order to “keep the city clean.”  This gentleman is a high contender for the office of Mayor in the next election.  We are not sure yet if the scandal and investigation of his association with ‘incentives’ for land development will hurt him or help him.  This is Florence after all.  But - because of him - it’s cleaner for the tourists which is what the city is all about!

or is it……

In this ex-Chiesa Florence International Theatre Company held its first “An FITC Christmas!“  This was an idea I wanted to do for our very first season but we weren’t ready to launch it then.  The concept is very simple - bring our audience into a space with our FITC artists, give them props and costumes and break them into 5 groups and then everyone creates the story of “A Christmas Carol” in five scenes presented one after another.  Then a Christmas Cabaret and sing-a-long.  Of course the challenge here is that - because FITC is here for everyone and this is a community-focused event - we have to do it in two languages.  I’m not sure, but we may have created the very first presentation of “A Christmas Carol” in Italian and English with a cast ranging in age from 2 to 80+ from countries around the world.  Which isn’t incredibly easy if you consider Italians don’t know the story of A Christmas Carol!  We had just under 60 people attend.  My good friend here - Mary Jane - played the redeemed Scrooge in the final scene.  She insists I am ruining her life with these creative opportunities I force her into but I think she has real talent!!

   

It was a truly wonderful event and brought people together in the way FITC’s community outreach was created to do — bridging communities with the arts.  There was the family from Sri Lanka looking for a connection in Florence just as there was a family from Sicily looking for the same (the father is in the picture above as Scrooge with Christmas Past).  Both left ecstatically happy to have had such a unique experience with other community members.  Neither spoke the other’s language…. but they all created something together.

This is the Florence that I imagine.  The one that is living along side the deadening museum aspect which so many come to see.  Deadening only because Florence hasn’t learned how to handle so much international attention without diminishing the city in the process.  Deadening because Florence hasn’t learned how to draw on the power and beauty of its intercultural residents and local and international artists and youth to assist in the process of entering the 21st century while preserving and honoring the magnificence of the Renaissance.  So, we do what we can.  Building FITC is - as most of you know - the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.  Stone is resistant, and there is much of it here.  But things change.  Life continues in positive directions if we work toward them together.

That’s why I’m hoping FITC can work with Aurora to bring attention to the homeless situation in the city.  I’m thinking it will be some sort of large Creative Campus event in fall 2009.  I’m sure the Assessore al Sicureza won’t like it…. but what do I care?  Io non voto qui….. (I don’t vote here) ….. I’m just a visitor building a theatre company.  So “Bah Humbug” to that!  He may not know what that means….. but in aboutt 10 years, everyone here will understand the meaning of those words…. and maybe the meaning of what art can do in this world!  Or, at least, in this corner of it.

Un bacio grande ragazzi!

Bari