Italy's AFAM Reform: 400+ Artistic Disciplines Reduced to 127

On February 12, 2025, Minister Anna Maria Bernini enacted a reform of Italy's Alta Formazione Artistica, Musicale e Coreutica (AFAM) system. This initiative condenses more than 400 artistic-disciplinary sectors into 127, thereby simplifying bureaucracy and modernizing the curriculum across various fields, including arts, music, design, theater, dance, restoration, and new technologies. The reform aims to align AFAM with university standards, establishing national artistic habilitation for educators and consolidating sectors for fine arts academies, conservatories, and drama schools. Notable changes encompass updated painting curricula, theater therapy, dance therapy, and enhancements in visual and design arts theories. Additionally, it sets the stage for new faculty recruitment guidelines and introduces doctoral research programs that merge arts, sciences, and artificial intelligence, as highlighted by CNAM president Giovanna Cassese.