Since the 90’s, the world looks astonished at the power of culture as a strategical tool for the development of entire economies and territories. However, in last years, culture, and better said, cultural economics in Italy (but not only in Italy) is really changed.
It’s clearly visible: look at the symposium, look in the universities. The great giants of this discipline are fading away, great entrepreneurial groups are changing their focus. Even the group I represent changed its primary market from a consulting to an advisory business model, in order to match the new set of needs that this market is now showing.
Nowadays, cultural economics is a more mature market and there is a need for new and specialized skills: be able in designing cultural projects is no longer enough, now, who’s in charge in providing services in this cluster have to be able in funding projects too, or made them sustainable in the short period.
This is the evidence that shows how We’re experiencing a great switch of the market. This kind of changes happens when a sector shifts from an emerging stage to a consolidating phase.
In almost a decade, Tafter Journal has been involved in the representation of an everlasting changing world. This number won’t be the exception.
The functions that culture is called for are, by now, extremely varied: now culture is related, among others, with social cohesion, entrepreneurial mentorship, innovation, cultural heritage and trust-building activities. Day by day, as the importance of the value of culture is recognized, culture is required to solve any kind of societal challenge. Furthermore, there are clusters and activities that need the set of skills that culture can provide, even though they’re not exactly definable as part of the Cultural and Creative Industries. I’m talking about the experience industry, and more precisely, I’m talking about tourism, and the way cultural and touristic phenomena share efforts in order to consolidate a territorial branding image (that has direct implications on the economic, social and urban fabric as a whole).
These evidences call us for a change: we need culture, it’s true, but we need energy, engaged professionals and academics who want to share their experiences and studies in order to foster a debate and to provide readers with practical tools and knowledge.
It’s not a theoretical stuff, it’s a down-to-earth approach: as culture changes, attitude have to change too.
Good Morning, Italy. Good Morning, World. Cultural century is coming.
