[spectre] petition for Interzona cultural centre, Verona/Italy

[giorgio/INTERZONA]

via santa teresa 16
Verona, ITALY
www.izona.it 
e-mail:musica@izona.it    

Dear friends, Interzona is a cultural centre for teatre,  music and arts in
Italy, based in Verona.  If possible, now we need support: please take ten
minutes of your time for read this petition.
all the best   
giorgio giunta/INTERZONA  
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The indifference which Italian public  administrators show towards the
concrete needs of those involved with art and  other forms of contemporary
culture is a well-known factor. Just as there is  nothing new in the
statement that public administrations aim to achieve "big  projects"
capable of gaining consent from superficial public opinion, without  being
able to understand the needs of those who should be the natural
"beneficiaries" of this kind of initiative. It often happens that the long
time  needed to complete these works, coupled with their "institutional"
nature, are  in distinct contrast with "young art's" needs for expression,
as well as the  necessity people feel to gather around them. In the
specific case of Interzona,  the Verona Town Council intends to sell the
entire area of the former General  Warehouses (where the Association is
based) for cash reasons. Buildings in  excess of 90,000m" are involved, of
which various  rooms totalling  600/900m" are being used by Interzona.
This sale by the Verona Town Council  means closing down our headquarters
and a "natural" end to this experience.  Simple, isn't it? Interzona in
these eight (.by now almost nine!) years has  "soiled its hands" with the
tools of that art we consider to be an expression of  contemporary spirit,
with European and international artists taking part in over  200 concerts,
dozens of theatrical events, independent cinema reviews, art  set-ups,
meetings and seminars.
It's of little importance if Interzona's  headquarters are to be used to
build a museum or supermarket, Lord knows when.  During these years
theatre, music and  independent cinema have filled the  life of the over
45,000 members using the Specialised Refrigeration Unit. We  aren't looking
for sympathy: we believe that art is not just "the history of  art", with
its great artists, lavish meetings and high finance. We believe in  the
importance of structures like Interzona: the thousands of young people who
come to our facilities can't wait years to have a place to live out their
feelings. This is why we are asking you to take part in this debate and
show  your support by signing the petition on our site www.izona.it
<http://www.izona.it> , addressed to the Mayor of Verona, to ask for
permanent premises for our cultural association.

Thank you, the  INTERZONA Board

PETITION to the Mayor of the Verona Town  Council  

http://www.izona.it/petizione/english.php3   Dear Mayor,
for eight years the Interzona  Cultural Association has been an example for
the Town of Verona of how a  run-down production area left to deteriorate
can be put to new use. Even before  the constraints laid down by the
Architectural Heritage Office, intended to  safeguard the former General
Warehouses, Interzona had chosen the Specialised  Refrigeration Unit as its
headquarters, recognising its symbolic, historic  value and acting to
safeguard some of the more interesting areas of the building  as a whole,
opening them to the world at large.
As the Public Works Sector  has observed, the work of Interzona's own
members as well as self-financing have  been able to invest in excess of
Euro 73.000 in this structure in order to  provide adequate safety for all
those using the area, paying rent to the Town  Council regularly. Since
1994 more than 40,000 people have become members of  Interzona, going to
more than two hundred concerts, dozens of theatre events,  cinema reviews,
meetings with film directors and writers and
visiting  contemporary art exhibitions. All this has received recognition
from Italy and  abroad, placing Verona on the same level as those European
cities more aware of  art and other forms of contemporary expression, as
well as creating socialising  and meeting areas open to all. Now all this
may be wiped out!
Dear  Mayor,
we ask you to revoke the procedure to evict the headquarters of the
Interzona Cultural Association,
launched by the Verona Town Council Heritage  Section, and to assign
permanent headquarters, taking into account the type and  size of premises
suitable for the institutional aims of the association, so that  it can be
fully and completely  operational.