Italy's Strategic Plan for Photography: A Five-Year Roadmap

On May 4, 2018, Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MiBACT) released its 'Strategic Plan for the Development of Photography in Italy' for the period of 2018-2022. This plan, which received approval from Minister Dario Franceschini on December 14, 2017, was formalized as a directive on February 28, 2018, and registered on the same date as its publication. The initiative involves four key directorates: Education and Research, Archives, Contemporary Art and Architecture and Urban Peripheries, and Museums, with a technical secretariat overseeing its execution. Among its goals is an image education project for primary schools in 2018/19 and the establishment of a public registry for professional photographers. Italy is the first European nation to implement such a strategic framework, following the States General of Photography in 2017.