Audience development in Italian cultural sector: a critical analysis

The article critiques the debate on audience development and engagement in Italy's cultural economy, arguing that it remains inconclusive due to a national tendency toward self-importance. The author compares this to everyone in Italy considering themselves a soccer coach, chef, or strategist. Audience development is likened to menial tasks like chopping onions—essential but undervalued. The text highlights that Italy faces a dramatic period of economic and social crisis, with youth unemployment and gambling on the rise. Cultural consumption is divided between those who engage and those who don't, influenced by communication and education. However, the author warns against equating education solely with academic degrees, noting that a second-generation immigrant plumber might attend cinema more than a graduate. True cultural education means fostering curiosity to make culture a habitual consumption category, making museums places children want to go, gamifying music study, and engaging those offended by contemporary art. Current policies focus on demand-side incentives, but the real need is to understand and meet audience expectations. Italy is compared to a supermarket that lures customers with loss-leader offers but fails to convert them into buyers of other products. The author calls for knowing not just who consumes culture but also who does not and why, treating audience development as a marketing activity rather than a strategic abstraction.