Italian Fine Arts Academies Appeal to New Minister Gaetano Manfredi for Reform
Vittorio Politano, the Director of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Catanzaro, has reached out to Gaetano Manfredi, the Minister of University and Research, to advocate for urgent reforms in the AFAM (Higher Education in Arts, Music and Dance) system, which has been stagnant for two decades since the enactment of Law 508/1999. He points out significant challenges such as governance disputes, the absence of full university status for faculty members, and the necessity to secure positions for temporary teachers. Politano also criticizes the recruitment regulation DPR 143/2019, noting that Italian academies are lagging behind their European counterparts. The AFAM system comprises 145 institutions, serving 70,000 students, with 8,500 teachers and 2,300 non-teaching staff. He emphasizes the need for increased resources and political cohesion to enhance Italy's standing in arts education.
Key facts
- Vittorio Politano is Director of Accademia di Belle Arti di Catanzaro and Secretary of the National Conference of Directors of Italian Fine Arts Academies.
- Gaetano Manfredi is the new Minister for University and Research, former Rector of Federico II University of Naples and President of the Conference of Italian University Rectors.
- Law 508/1999 aimed to equate art academies with universities but has been largely unimplemented for 20 years.
- DPR 143/2019, effective from academic year 2020/2021, is criticized as a 'terrible measure' by the AFAM sector.
- The AFAM system includes 145 institutions: 82 state-run and 63 non-state, with about 70,000 students, 8,500 teachers, and 2,300 non-teaching staff.
- Key demands include: full university status for academies, abolition of faculty tiers, stabilization of precarious teachers, and resolution of governance conflicts.
- The Accademia di Belle Arti di Catanzaro has been operating for 45 years without a permanent location.
- The letter references a 2012 Corriere della Sera article by Miriam Mirolla and Vita Segreto titled 'Italy that mortifies its Fine Arts'.
Entities
Artists
- Vittorio Politano
- Gaetano Manfredi
- Lorenzo Fioramonti
- Lucia Azzolina
- Tiziana D'Acchille
- Salvo Bitonti
- Angela D'Onghia
- Miriam Mirolla
- Vita Segreto
- Joseph Beuys
Institutions
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Catanzaro
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma
- Accademia Albertina di Torino
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera
- Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica
- Accademia Nazionale di Danza
- Conservatori di Musica
- Istituti Musicali Pareggiati
- Istituti Superiori per le Industrie Artistiche
- Federico II di Napoli
- Conferenza dei Rettori
- MIUR
- Corriere della Sera
- Artribune
- European Higher Education Area
- Royal Academy of Arts
- Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Locations
- Catanzaro
- Italy
- Roma
- Torino
- Firenze
- Milano
- Genova
- Verona
- Perugia
- Bergamo
- Ravenna
- Napoli
- Europa
- Germania
- Spagna
- Regno Unito
- Austria