Arco Culture Strategy: Collaborations, Event Focus, and Budget Priorities

Maria Gloria Mirri, city councilor, does not give up and returns to a topic that has recently been close to her heart, this time giving her intervention a more proactive tone.

“Let’s not say that I am only criticizing the Assessore Morandi for how culture is managed in Arco,” she writes as an introduction, hoping that her ideas will at least be discussed, if not adopted. There will surely be some reactions, especially regarding her disagreement with the municipality’s efforts related to summer entertainment shows.

But let’s respect the order that Mirri gives to her proposals. The first concerns the Castello: “Although I do not agree with the conceptual and methodological approach, I would suggest exploring collaborations with organizations that already operate in this field.

We could start with the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), which could be involved in a collaborative management model, leveraging the experience of this association that manages the Castel of Avio. Instead of inventing events that aren’t always up to expectations (and the money spent), we could duplicate certain shows across the two castles, ensuring better reliability of the program and also achieving cost savings.

This operation needs to be studied carefully and the methods agreed upon, certainly renouncing the pride of being the original host: a bit of humility never hurts! We are not starting from scratch, but from a successful collaboration that led to the opening of the Castello in the summer of 1997. There’s also East-West in nearby Rovereto, under the direction of which a series of special events could be examined to add unique features to the castle’s offerings.

Cultural events and activities

Regarding events in general (New Year’s concert, music weeks, Easter music, Segantini Junior, Segantini Award, Arco estate, Night at the castle, Arcorinascimento, Harmonies in Arco, Gardesan publishing exhibition, Christmas concert, B. Cattoi festival, theater games…), Mirri remains skeptical because “It’s an absurd dilution, a heterogeneity of cultural activities and other entertainment events that seem to belong to the ephemeral, a concept so dear to forgetful former Roman assessors.”

Some shows shouldn’t burden the municipal coffers, as they serve primarily to attract tourists and fill the town center’s venues. The tradition of operators—whether merchants, restaurateurs, or hoteliers—that invest in entertainment activities just as they have a budget for advertising should be revived.

Economic categories can’t just stand by and watch while someone else does the work in their stead. Just as the activation for the Austro-Hungarian Christmas is exemplary, operators should manage streets and squares themselves with pub bands and concerts.

The municipality can and should demand that it provides the environmental setting, the basic prerequisites, and the quality of urban furniture. It is up to the operators to fill the containers.

For this reason, in the face of this jumble of events—some good, some bad—I must tell the Assessore: “Select, identify specific objectives, aim for each initiative to have ‘added value’.” I will stop here.

There is more that needs to be said, and it is very important. Beyond the debate in the press—which lends itself to involving other citizens—we will also discuss it in the City Council, when, God willing, we will be able to examine and debate the 2001 budget proposal.