There was a time when the Tarentum spring had anything but a negative meaning. The poet Horace actually stated that he preferred it to Rome, queen of the world, alluding to the pleasure-loving and restful character of Taranto life. Then, over the last few years, the connotation has become so contemptuous: a city that, whatever happens, remains swamped. Despite everything, despite even a victory for example at the David di Donatello which he bore the name of Taranto to the honors of national news. With three statuettes for one film, “Laf building” by Michele Riondino, which recounts a revolting parenthesis for the world of work within Riva’s Ilva: where the employees who had opposed the “novation” of the contract, i.e. the downgrading to workers, were confined. Almost certainly, in other latitudes, many would have jumped on the bandwagon. Or, perhaps, some naysayer would have taken advantage of the situation to reverse the meaning of victory.
All legitimate, except that several days have passed since that conquest and the debate has remained almost silent. Or confined – speaking of confined and neighboring places – in small social squabbles or some commercial releases. Almost as if a reference figure like that Alessandro was missing Leogrande who many pull by the jacket disappeared for seven years. And to whom the film is dedicated and inspired, thanks to the book “Fumo sulla città”.
Stefania Castellana’s analysis
«The cultural debate in the city is now sadly relegated to keyboard controversy – says art historian Stefania Castellana, president of Arci Gagarin and Fucina 900 – A situation that does not allow for a clear reflection on what is happening on multiple fronts , in Taranto. Because if it is clear that, in cases such as participation in initiatives at a national and international level – such as the “David di Donatello” for cinema – it should be taken for granted that the topic becomes public domain, the cultural question involves more levels of life, not least urban and social ones. As long as there was Alessandro Leogrande who managed, even with strong tones, to hold together the threads of this discourse and to give it a broad scope, the issues – cultural and otherwise – linked to Taranto were able to trigger a healthy, participatory and over-arching debate. local. His disappearance deprived the city of a bridge to the world and Taranto almost disappeared from the radar from a cultural point of view, swallowed up in its own navel. Not that cultural production has not continued – in the last decade, books, essays, investigations, films and fundamental documentaries on the city have seen the light of day – but the attitude towards public discussion has dried up.”
Reactivating the debate machine is not easy, «especially after years in which local politics has often classified the debate as a sterile controversy, if not a tendency towards defeatism. Then the absence of Leogrande became empty and those who were still trying to stir things up a little with the critical exercise ended up giving up: the result is this inert body that we have before our eyes and of which we feel all the weight”.
The words of Clara Cottino
Those fumes over the city were somehow swept into the chimney district by Crest: the theater company has been operating in the TaTà auditorium in the Tamburi district for many years and, among many awards, has obtained the award from the National Association of Theater Critics. «I appreciated Michele Riondino’s words during the awards ceremony, culture can be an alternative – says the president of Crest, Clara Cottino – There is a however. We must all have, starting with public bodies, greater clarity and incisiveness to give us a vision of what we want to achieve and what type of development we aspire to. It seems to me that today the different operators are going their own way, each following their own path and what is missing is an overall vision. For example, do we want an old city only with bars or with those who live there? Do we want tourism or do we also want to combine it with other economic sectors? There is a lot of talk about the network but then it is not pursued. Everyone is eager, some more, some less, but the problem is that we have to get around a table to truly work in synergy.”
In short, in addition to an aggregator or more simply a debate provocateur, the idea is that what is missing is an overall vision that can bring everyone into agreement. Which is a bit of what ominously makes the infamous work-health dilemma echo again.
The thoughts of Giulia Galli
«There are actually many unrelated elements, each one goes by itself – agrees Giulia Galli of the Taranto Book Presidium – Building relationships is difficult in this city. Sailing alone is dangerous. First of all, we need stronger coordination to help cultural operators. However, Alessandro Leogrande’s legacy is there, because he left some ideas. And some institutions and private individuals are moving in that direction. There is an awareness in people of what he left behind: looking at reality as a complex and non-simplified system, looking at things carefully, listening, observing and trying not to reduce reality to slogans. But it should be amplified and the political level can help all operators to coordinate better.”
The prospects for Antonio Prota
Antonio Prota, an expert in tourism and territorial marketing with important entrepreneurial and managerial activities carried out in Italy, Africa, the Caribbean and the United States, began talking about alternative development and new visions well before the Ilva crisis. Creating green projects related to tourism and culture in Taranto and its province. «I’m pleased that now everyone is talking about it, they tell me you were right – explains Prota, currently president of the Greenroad.it Network Contract, a green economy model for the eco-compatible growth of territories – but it’s good, because a ‘another path is possible. Culture is the engine of growth, everyone agrees on this statement, but what is culture? Culture is what a community builds in a place in its time, transforming it with a new vision. If culture is the engine, it becomes essential to train the pilots of this engine. The starting point is represented by the analysis of territorial vocations and available resources, in order to build a unique vision for growth and reconversion, enhancing the iconic elements. Taranto is such a powerful space that it has generated the founding bases of the entire Western culture and, even if today some signs of that value are not visible, it is necessary to work so that they can re-emerge. A reconversion is still possible despite the national inability to resolve an industrial issue. It is clear that the territory is powerless on some things, there it depends on other levels, so it becomes essential to talk to each other.”
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© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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