The concept of Cultural Social Innovation in Italy

The concept of Cultural Social Innovation in Italy

Since the 2008 financial crisis, social innovation has become very central in Italian policies and entrepreneurial circles. It is very common to find associations, entrepreneurial ventures,

financial support schemes and academic courses that are linked with social innovation all over the country.

Due to the strong presence of cultural heritage assets in Italy, social innovation has naturally flourished in the sector, so much so, that the institute of historical science Luigi Sturzo has recognised the emergence of cultural social innovation and defines the concept as “generating social innovation with culture [which] means moving from a concept of audience expansion, the so-called audience development, to a concept of creative participation of groups of the population in the process of cultural production”.

The country is currently experiencing a particularly rich period regarding the development of cultural creative activities based largely on social innovation, both in terms of organization management and relation with territorial development, representing an ideal context in which to explore the emergence of this CSI model.