Venice cultural sector demands return of culture councillor after decade-long absence

Venice's cultural sector has united for the first time to demand the reinstatement of a dedicated culture councillor, a position absent since 2015. Ahead of the next administrative elections, businesses, operators, and professionals have presented a manifesto and roadmap calling for strategic governance of culture. The city's metropolitan area hosts 4,193 cultural and creative enterprises, employing approximately 24,525 people (6.5% of total employment), with a value added of about €1.45 billion (5.8% of local wealth). However, the sector faces marginalization, low wages (up to two-thirds below national median), and precarious contracts. Access to EU funds like Creative Europe and Horizon Europe remains limited, with over 90% of cultural projects unfunded and a success rate around 5%. The initiative, reported by Massimiliano Zane for Artribune, argues that culture is not an accessory expense but an economic multiplier, intersecting housing, labor, youth, environment, and social cohesion. The sector calls for a councillor with strategic function, not an events office or artistic director, and criticizes paternalistic electoral promises lacking substance.