10.6092/issn.1973-9494/4194
application/pdf
1973-9494
4194
en
Alberto Cassani
Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
Editorial
Text.Serial.Journal
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/
13
Editorial
2013-12-30
2014-02-10
2013-12-30
2015-11-02
21-26
CSCH
Alberto Cassani
2013/12/30
10.6092/issn.1973-9494/4194
21
1973-9494
en
26
Editorial
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/article/download/4194/3647
13
E    DITORIAL




   Among the events, EVENTS: Milan Expo 2015, Ravenna European Capital of
   Culture 2019

   Salvatore Lorusso and Alberto Cassani


   Since 2009, expenditure in communications, sponsorship, advertising and promo-
tion in the various sectors of culture and production has been greatly reduced.
   A fall in investments that has not spared events: from meetings to conventions, from
congresses to convivial encounters, from trade fairs to conferences.
   In 2011 expenditure dedicated to this sector by financiers as part of their budget did




                                                                                                     CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
not go beyond 930 million euro, 8.8% less than in 2010, after the two years of decline
that followed the sharp increase of 2008 (which amounted to 1.3 billion euro).
   However, analysing this data in detail, it is clear that funding for events decreases less
than for other sectors. In particular, funding for web-based communications gain market
share at the expense of those using other means: namely TV and print advertising.
   Out of a survey of 300 businesses, investment forecasts are optimistic.
   For 2012 and for this year investments are expected to grow steadily: +31% to
reach a quota of 1.22 billion euro.
   This means that the sector is preparing to provide new employment opportunities
for new graduates.
   In addition, the market is rapidly renewing itself and will therefore need more young
people.
   Among the events, the two significant international EVENTS (a term written delib-
erately in capital letters), involving Milan and the Lombardy region “Milan Expo 2015”,
and Ravenna with the Emilia-Romagna region “Ravenna European Capital of Culture
2019”, play a particular role in enhancing the value of what the territory expresses
atavistically and currently. This “valorization” makes it possible to attract investments
which can determine economic regeneration, highlighting the importance of Cultural
Events, not only in terms of reputation and image, but also based on the belief that
today culture is a raw material in the value chain of cultural assets, and thus endows it
with an economic sense. This expresses the concept of territorial marketing.


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                 Moreover, the key words of the Expo theme are FOOD, ENERGY, PLANET, LIFE
             and represent a journey that starts from traditions and reaches the confines of the
             future.
                 As regards Ravenna’s application to be the European Capital of Culture 2019, it
             should be noted that the cultural heritage and life of the past are important elements
             and represent the starting point for improving cooperation in the cultural sector and
             promoting dialogue at a European and international level.
                 It is important to underline the recognition the city of Ravenna has recently received
             by being included as one of the candidates in the short list of six Italian cities: Cagliari,
             Lecce, Matera, Perugia-Assisi, Ravenna and Siena and from which the European
             Capital of Culture 2019 will be chosen in the last quarter of 2014. Cities that were
             excluded were: Venice-Triveneto, Vallo di Diano and Cilento, Taranto, Mantua, Ca-
             serta, Palermo, Aosta, Erice, Reggio Calabria, Urbino, L’Aquila, Bergamo, Grosseto,
             Syracuse and Pisa.
                 In the presentation of the two events the following topics are discussed – travel, tra-
             ditions, the future, heritage, the past, dialogue at European and international level. The
             past, in particular is discussed and how much it has bequeathed to the present so that
             provision can be made – in relation to progress made in science, technology and new
             cultural, ethical and social parameters – to pass it on to the future: “The rational study
             of history, therefore, prepares to understand, in light of the past, the present, which has
             in it the seed of the future”.
                 In particular, the union between past, present and future is evident in the Logo of
             the “Ravenna 2019” the importance of the historical and cultural value of the territory
             that hosts it.
                 In this logo, therefore, there is a piece of mosaic, that celebrates Ravenna as the
             “City of  Mosaics”, with 8 monuments included in the “World Heritage List” under the
             protection of UNESCO; owing to their uniqueness, they are points of excellence in its
             cultural, landscape and natural heritage and its representation worldwide.
                 Mosaics are not only a legacy of the past but also a source of inspiration for con-
             temporary artists. In fact, Ravenna hosts the INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CON-
             TEMPORARY MOSAIC.
                 Another key element, common to both events, is the “Person”, as made evident
             in Expo 2015, who uses his particular characteristics by demonstrating his creativity,
             to improve cultural cooperation and promote dialogue at European and international
             level, as made evident in Ravenna 2019.
                 Hence the importance of the “education of a Person”, and consequently, focusing
             on the fundamental objective of training young people, a rigorous training abreast with
             the times.
                 It is precisely regarding the education of young people that it is interesting to un-
             derstand how they see their future. An international survey, provided the answer to the
             following question “What word in your opinion best describes the element that is going
             to be important to you in the years ahead?”
                 The response came from 700 undergraduates, graduates and post graduates en-
             rolled in master degree courses aged between 18 and 30 years, from 153 universities
             in 28 countries. Four months after the online initiative was launched, a jury selected the
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             ten leading ideas – and somewhat surprisingly, given the times – the results showed a
             boost of optimism. The ten guiding ideas were:



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   ●     flexibility
   ●     honesty
   ●     empathy
   ●     innovation
   ●     curiosity
   ●     perseverance
   ●     simplicity
   ●     a change in perspective
   ●     humility
   ●     fraternity

   The question was also put to the students of the First Level University Master De-
gree “Planning and promotion of artistic and cultural events”, academic year 2012-
2013. The students gave the following answers and corresponding reasons, as follows:
   FULFILLMENT Personal satisfaction with respect to the objectives and position
reached is essential to live a fulfilling life and provide the stimulus to constantly strive
towards achieving further goals.
   OPPORTUNITY The availability of a wide range of choices makes it easier to find
the ideal solution for oneself.
   SATISFACTION Feeling satisfied  with respect to one’s existential and work situa-
tion is a key point in leading a successful life.
   INNOVATION In order to seize new challenges and opportunities, in both individual
and human and work relationships, where innovation should involve all parties.
   ACKNOWLEDGEMENT   Proper attribution of personal merit is essential both as
testimony of respect in order to preserve self-esteem and to have confidence in the
future.
   INDEPENDENCE The greatest possible fulfilment is in being able to live thanks to




                                                                                                    CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
what one has invested in.
   STABILITY It is not a condition that can be claimed immediately, but later on, is es-
sential for maintaining one’s equilibrium and provide the chance of laying foundations
for future plans.
   STIMULUS Leading a challenging existence is essential for maintaining the right
level of interest and commitment in the activities one performs and for proceeding
through the course of one’s life.
   SERENITY This is what derives from and influences all the above-mentioned
points, giving space to the possibility for planning, human exchange and constructive
dialogue.
   An additional idea can be added to the above, that of Creativity.
   Creativity is a term that generally means the art or the cognitive ability of the mind
to create and invent, thanks to imagination and innovation.
   The definition provided by Henri Poincaré: “Creativity is to combine existing ele-
ments with new connections that are useful”, introduces the categories of “new” and
“useful” to describe creative activity in society and history. The “new” is relative to the
historical period in which it is conceived; the “useful” is connected with understanding
and social recognition. New and useful adequately represent the essence of the crea-
tive act: an overcoming of the existing rules (the new) which establishes an additional
shared rule (because it proved to be useful).



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                 In the “White Paper on Creativity” moreover, produced within the Commission on
             Creativity and Cultural Production in Italy (Decree, November 30th 2007), the Ministry
             for Cultural Heritage and Activities, it clearly states that: “Creativity and Culture are
             an inseparable combination, a successful mechanism that can place the country in a
             strategic shift in the international process of globalization.”
                 It is this creativity that also plays an important part in the work of different profes-
             sional figures, among which can be included the “event manager” or the “eventologist”.
                 Thus, creativity becomes a profession, in a sector that is undergoing a profound
             change, the sector of artistic and cultural events, marked by the crisis, but also open to
             opportunities offered by a radical change in scenery.
                 This professional figure is an increasingly specialised and transversal one, with
             the ability to build communication strategies and to operate across multiple media
             platforms, effectively bringing together the diverse languages involved and creating
             potential.
                 The characteristics on which to focus, to build these professional skills which fea-
             ture creativity, have followed a significant evolution by capitalising on multimedia.
                 The characteristic of “creatives” is curiosity: “they have to understand and anticipate
             reality. And they must know “how to amaze”, by immediately taking on any challenge
             and working as a team”.
                 The course of study varies according to the roles: professional figures connected
             with creativity relate to and draw inspiration from career opportunities in both the artis-
             tic-cultural sphere and the business sphere.
                 The main channel for recruiting professionals in the sector is by word of mouth, but
             to take the first steps as a creative it is often indispensable to acquire experience from
             a work placement, job opportunities that present themselves periodically throughout
             the year.
                 Creativity and specialisation therefore, determine a change in the profile of the
             event manager. If at first they were people who knew it all, who organised and man-
             aged the event from its conception to its completion, today they must be able to satisfy
             the different requests and needs in the market as skilled professionals specialising in
             different areas. As such, the professional is:

                     the expert who studies, develops and controls the scientific content of the event;
                     the account manager, who interfaces with the client;
                     the logistics expert, who identifies the geographic location and the hotels;
                     the project manager, who processes the project;
                     the person with operational responsibility for handling the event.

                But it is equally true that those who deal with events to promote the territory, con-
             tinue to bear the persistent heterogeneity of skills required of an event manager.
                The role of event manager, must have as its main objective that of creating a
             partnership with the agencies who will handle the event. To these, he will give a
             brief, expecting to receive proposals and solutions, paying particular attention,
             however, to costs. Hence the importance of specific training Courses and Mas-
             ters, providing qualified scientific content which must meet specific standards of
             quality.
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                The role of event manager, will have as its main objective that of creating a partner-
             ship with the agencies who handle events, to whom he will give a brief and from whom
             he will expect proposals and solutions, but paying particular attention to costs. Hence

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the importance of specific training courses and masters that provide qualified scientific
content, which must meet specific standards in quality.
   These issues and requirements are among the goals and objectives of the Master
Degree in “Planning and promotion of artistic and cultural events”, taught at the De-
partment of Cultural Heritage, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna (Ravenna
Campus).
   In conclusion, in referring to Ravenna’s application to be European Capital of
Culture 2019, the importance of focusing on the excellence of the surrounding
area must be emphasized. In principle, this refers to the assets included in the
“World Heritage List” placed under UNESCO protection and for which the Law of
20th February 2006, No. 77 (published in the Official Gazette No. 58 of 10th March
2006) points out:
   “The Italian sites included in the “World Heritage List” under the protection of UN-
ESCO are for their uniqueness, points of excellence in its cultural, landscape and
natural heritage and in its representation at international level”.

   But it is just as significant to highlight among the excellences the Department of
Cultural Heritage.
   In this regard, it is important to evidence the contribution that the Department, as
a structure which is part of the University of Bologna, classified among the top Ital-
ian Universities for many years in international rankings, can give to the Events in
Ravenna:

     ● the very presence of the Department which appears unique in the national
       framework and by combining experience, expertise and cultural backgrounds
       of both a humanistic-philological and technical-diagnostic-conservative na-
       ture, carries out training and research aimed at the protection and valorization




                                                                                                 CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
       of cultural heritage in the Ravenna area and also nationally and internation-
       ally;
     ● discoveries of international significance: the scroll of the oldest Hebrew Pen-
       tateuch in the world; the attribution of the bones of Caravaggio; the recon-
       struction of Dante’s face; the excavations to identify the remains of  Mona Lisa
       (Gioconda);
     ● the Diagnostic Laboratory for Cultural Heritage – indicated by the Ministry for
       Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, by the National Institute for For-
       eign Trade (ICE) and by Change Performing Arts (an international company
       that organises artistic and cultural events) among the institutions of excel-
       lence in Italian public and university systems – which carries out research on a
       national and international level and in so far as Ravenna is concerned: the Art
       Museum of the City of Ravenna, the Mausoleum of Theodoric, the Archives of
       the Chamber of Commerce of Ravenna, the Malatesta Fortress of Montefiore
       Conca, the Dante Centre of the Friars Minor Conventual of Ravenna, the Fed-
       eration of Cooperatives of the Province of Ravenna, the Casanetense Library
       of Ravenna and the Oriani House Library;
     ● the Journal, “Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage” published by univer-
       sities, institutions, national and international research centres and present in
       international platforms with international certification.



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                This then, is how, in reference to the conceptual term “Creativity”, the Ravenna
             Events are able to bring together all this, that is to fully unite its inherent cultural and
             historical value with the appropriate and effective organizational aspects for the en-
             hancement of its own territory, focusing on its excellence and projecting its atavistic
             reality into the future.
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