Appendix I: Charter on the Use of Ancient Places of Performance

APPENDIX I CHARTER ON THE USE OF ANCIENT PLACES OF PERFORMANCE adopted at the International Colloquy held in Verona (Italy, August, 1997) - Charter on the Use of Ancient Places of Performance - Appendix I to the Charter: Technical details concerning the conditions of use of ancient places of performance - Appendix II: Segesta Declaration Ancientplaces ofperformance, such as theatres, amphitheatresand circuses. are among the veryfew monuments still —in some cases - serving the purpose for which they were originally designed. As ancient cultural landmarks, they form a heritage encompassing not only the monuments of Greco-Roman times but also the history ofthe alterations made to them, the successive uses to which they were put and the cultural and artistic traditions associated with them. Today, the objective is to preserve a store ofscientific information, manage the monuments in the perspective of development and, where circumstances permit, infuse ancient sites once more with theirfull role ofplaces of artistic creation, shared enjoyment and emotion. I. RESOURCE PRESERVATION Ancient places of performance are a vulnerable resource threatened by the . erosion oftime and the improper uses to which they are sometimes put. It is up to governments and the authorities thatown these sites to set upfor this heritage appropriate conservation strategies whichform part of the general context of policies toconservethearchitecturalandarchaeologicalheritage, townplanning and the environment. Any changes made to the heritage must respect the principle of reversibility. II. CONVEYINGACCURATE INFORMATION i. Many ofthe best known and mostfrequented ancientplaces ofperformance remain inadequately researched and documented. Progress in information technologies offers sophisticated aids to research monuments and their history, assist in conservation and restoration, disseminate information, education and heighten public awareness; 125 ii. However, the growth of virtual information and in particular the use of synthetic images callfor vigilance in terms ofprofessional ethics and a clear distinction between scientific purposes and images with a view to popularisation. III. FACILITATING COMPREHENSION BY THE PUBLIC i. Conservation ofancientplaces ofperformance is meaningful only ifit gives the general public access to this heritage and makes it better known at various levels; ii. Subject to restrictions due to safetyfactors or maintenance requirements, public access to ancientplaces ofperformance mustbepromoted by offering visitors aids to understanding and interpretation; iii. Selective, low-cost scientific work should serve as a basis for supplying information to thepublic at large, whether through information instruments for cultural tourism or through cyberculture media; iv. Arousingyoungpeople’sawarenessofa heritage category widely established throughout Europe, the Middle Eastand North Africa should help to convey an ethical message centering on common values embodied in a heritage reflected in a shared urban art of living. IV. ENHANCING THE SITES BY USING THEM i. Whereas all buildings are not suitable, owing to their state ofconservation, for the current organisation ofperformances, the use to which they are put gives them all their meaning by updating theirfunctions; ii. Whatever the type of event, it is essential to take account of the site’s vulnerability and alsofor performances to help enhance the heritage and arouse the audience’s interest in the ancient site in which they take place. iii. A balance must be struck between the need to protect monuments and the expectationsofaudiences, visitorsandlocalresidents. Tothis end, systematic co-operation must be arranged between the municipalities which own the sites, those responsibleforconservationandthe organisersofperformances, and regulations should be adopted for the use of each site specifying a minimum rulesfor theirproper use; iv. Proper use ofthe site should reduce the risks ofmaterial damage to ancient structures by performances and prohibit non-removable stagings or modificationsfor thepublic. It will bear in mind staging requirements when 126 planning the maintenance and rehabilitation of the monument so as to ensure that itsfunctions as a place ofperformance and as a heritage asset dovetail as naturally as possible; v. The staging ofliveperformances andhi-techpageantry shows on theplace’s history willprofitfrom the use ofnew technologiesfor lighting, images and sound with a view to improving the very quality ofthe performance through an enhancement of the site; vi. Contemporary creations should be encouraged when organising performances, provided thatthe artist is able to interpretthe spiritofthe site and use it to benefit both the performance and the monument. V. MANAGING PLACES OF ANCIENT PERFORMANCE BY CONTRIBUTING TO DEVELOPMENT i. Places ofperformance are botha resourceandafocus oflocaldevelopment, so...