Cultural Sector Research Articles

Strategizing blockchain adoption in public cultural services: a comprehensive scoping review

PurposeThis paper explores the application of blockchain technology in the public cultural sector, where adoption remains limited despite its potential. The study identifies major use case scenarios and empirical examples of blockchain adoption in public sector cultural services through a scoping literature review.Design/methodology/approachA scoping literature review was conducted to map research and conceptual approaches to blockchain technology in the public cultural sector, focusing on key use cases emerging and empirical examples.FindingsThe review reveals that while blockchain has the potential to enhance public cultural services, its adoption is still in its early stages. Identified use cases include tokenization of cultural assets, digital rights management and decentralized funding models. Empirical examples in the public cultural sector are sparse, and the impact of the technology remains largely theoretical.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by the scarcity of empirical data on blockchain adoption in public cultural services. Future research should focus on in-depth case studies and empirical analyses to understand the practical implications of blockchain in this sector.Practical implicationsPublic sector organizations offering cultural services may use these insights to guide blockchain adoption and implementation decisions.Social implicationsBlockchain adoption in public cultural services has the potential to democratize access, enhance transparency and foster community engagement, contributing to a more inclusive and participatory cultural ecosystem.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the emerging discourse on blockchain in the public sector, focusing on the often-overlooked cultural services. It highlights the benefits and challenges of blockchain adoption in this sector, providing insights for future research and policy decisions.

From national park to cultural park an Algerian experience

The status of National park was adopted in Algeria in 1921, during French colonisation, within the framework of the forestry law in force. It was renewed as is, after 1962 by independent Algeria and placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, in its general forestry directorate. In 1983, it was redefined in the first national law on the environment, then, from 2011, in that of protected areas, within the framework of sustainable development. All Algerian national parks are created under the forestry regime and agricultural administration, with the exception of a single case where they are attached to the cultural sector: that of Tassili and Ahaggar, both located in the extreme south of the Sahara, including the Tuareg customary domain of Kel Ajjer and Kel Ahaggar. A particular case, linked to the process of administrative construction of the Saharan space. It is following the adoption of paradigm of sustainable development and a new law on the protection of cultural heritage , that this particularism has disappeared, with the introduction of a new legal category of protection, called “parc culturel”, based on the principle of “indissociability” between culture and nature, an innovative notion which has not yet acquired the conceptual force necessary to achieve the required stabilization and social appropriation, hence the difficulty of its translation into operational tools.

Arts management and economic development: The role of cultural organizations in China’s regional growth

This study explores the role of arts management in regional economic development within major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Cultural organizations—such as museums, theaters, and galleries—contribute significantly to local economies through tourism, job creation, and the enhancement of cultural branding. Using a qualitative approach, 18 semi-structured interviews with arts managers and policymakers selected based on their influential roles in cultural organizations across these cities. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, which identified key themes including the economic impact of cultural organizations, the influence of government policies, challenges in arts management, and the role of cultural tourism in fostering regional growth. The findings reveal that while government policies play a pivotal role in supporting cultural organizations, providing crucial funding, tax incentives, and infrastructure development, concerns remain about the long-term sustainability of funding due to shifting political and economic priorities. Additionally, arts managers face challenges related to balancing artistic goals with financial viability, particularly as the sector becomes increasingly competitive and technology-dependent. Key challenges identified include securing stable funding sources, adapting to digital technologies, talent retention, and maintaining artistic integrity amid commercial pressures. The study highlights the need for diversified funding models such as public-private partnerships and alternative revenue streams and suggests further exploration into the role of smaller cultural organizations in rural regions to promote inclusive regional development. Practical recommendations include developing strategies to enhance financial sustainability, investing in digital capabilities, and formulating policies that provide long-term support for the cultural sector. Overall, the research contributes to a better understanding of how effective arts management can drive regional economic development and offers practical recommendations for strengthening the sustainability of China’s cultural sector.

Water Drops

This article examines how individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds in Norway participate in anti-racist activism via social media. It investigates the nature of digital activism compared to traditional paradigms, highlighting the varied forms of engagement enabled by digital technology. Drawing on nine months of ethnographic fieldwork among individuals in the arts and cultural sector, it reveals how seemingly minor actions on social media can spark organized activism, unveiling the political activism inherent in daily life and social media practices. The article argues that individuals not identifying as political activists still contribute to political change through everyday social media activities, suggesting that contemporary activism can exist without activists. Introducing the metaphor of ‘water drops’ the article conceptualizes everyday politics as small contributions that may collectively shape meaningful change. Small acts can be merely drops in a vast ocean without major significance. However, if sustained over time, efforts across disparate online spaces can coalesce to challenge and subvert dominant social narratives regarding difference, racism, discrimination, and exclusion. Thus, contemporary activism can thrive with ordinary people who contribute to collective social transformation through digital and mundane interactions.

Consumer behavior and spending patterns on cultural goods and services

This study investigates the factors influencing consumer behavior and spending patterns on cultural goods and services. Using a quantitative research approach with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data were gathered through a structured survey of 350 respondents from diverse demographic backgrounds. The results reveal that cultural interest, social influence, and perceived value have a significant and positive impact on consumer spending behavior, with cultural interest showing the strongest influence (β = 0.45, p < 0.01). Additionally, the study highlights the mediating role of perceived value in the relationship between social influence and spending behavior. These findings provide practical insights for marketers and cultural institutions aiming to better understand consumer motivations in the cultural sector. Future research should consider expanding the sample size and exploring other potential mediating variables.

3.M. Skills building seminar: Culture, Arts and Mental Health

Abstract Improving mental health is a challenge, not only for the health sector, so research into innovative ways to improve mental health in the community is necessary. The WHO Regional Office for Europe together with its expert group on the cultural contexts of health and well-being promote a culturally grounded approach to enrich policies related to health and well-being. The cultural contexts of health and well-being argues that incorporating cultural issues into policy-making is critical to the development of adaptive, equitable and sustainable health care systems, and to making general improvements in many areas of population health and well-being. Population health and well-being are influenced by actions external to health care systems, also. By health-in-all-policies approach it is given an understanding of how policies in non-health domains can foster or constrain a culture and art for health. Social prescribing and art-for -health activities are important tool for improvenment mental health. This skils building seminar will discuss some good practice and examples, and also cooperation with experts from cultural sector in the mental health field. Key messages • The innovative concept of cooperation between Culture and Health institutions brought positive experiences and impressions to all participants who used ‘culture on prescription’. • The integration of arts into healthcare and community settings offers a holistic approach to promoting health and fostering well-being.

Culture for Health – Example from Serbia

Abstract Using the possibility of social prescribing at the community level integrates several sectors, primarily the health sector and the culture sector. The goal of this project was to strengthen intersectoral cooperation (culture and health) and consider the possibility of providing conditions in the local community for continuous prescribing of the culture ‘on prescription’. Institute for Public Health of Vojvodina invited Matica Srpska Gallery to participate together with the Novi Sad Healthcare Center in a unique project that connects culture and health. The ‘Culture on prescription - culture for health’ consisted of two phases: curatorial guidance and group workshops. Curatorial guidance means the selection of individual works of art whose narration is planned and methodologically adapted to different groups of participants and which evokes different feelings related to quality of life and health. The second part of the program consisted of workshops in the Museum, enriched with works of art and a pleasant atmosphere.The workshops are based on group analytical methods and participants had the opportunity to reflect their observations, experiences and feelings on individual works of art, and they often reflected with personal life experiences that were not only aesthetic, but also pleasant and therapeutic. Participants came in two sessions, with two different curatorial guides, carefully thematically prepared, and which were later the source for substantive reflection. The positive outcomes of these innovative workshops was confirmed through written and oral facts, through which the participants emphasized that the stay in the museum space was therapeutic in itself. The possibility of the so-called ‘depot’ or prolonged effect of the unique prescription was observed, emphasizing that the participation in the workshops left an impression on the participants and that they will stay with a positive feeling and pleasantness after receiving a ‘dose’ of culture for health.

China as data coloniser? rethinking cultural production, cultural mediation, and consumer agency on Kenyan and Chinese e-commerce platforms

Has China become a neo-colonizer, exporting its cultural and economic power to the world based on its agenda of building soft power? Existing scholarship on neocolonialism and data colonialism largely focuses on how China's infrastructural expansion and increasingly platformised cultural sectors can achieve its ambitious platformised cultural sectors overseas. Yet, how China's cultural power is manifested, negotiated, or resisted in people's daily lives in a South–South setting remains under-researched and under-theorised. This article uses everyday fashion in Kenya as a case study to investigate China's cultural and economic power expansion in the Global South. We examined how cultural differences are negotiated and mediated on two Chinese(-invested) e-commerce platforms. Through focus groups and platform walkthrough method, our findings serve to enrich existing theories of cultural production–platform relationships applicable in the study of various cultural and creative sectors, to offer new understandings of how symbolic, sociopolitical and cultural meanings of fashion are constructed through divergent platform affordances, and to reveal the various forms of cultural negotiations and resistance in different contexts, multiplying our frames of reference.

Social entrepreneurship and value creation in the cultural sector. An empirical analysis using the multidimensional controlling model

Purpose Social entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in the contemporary economic and social ecosystem, defining a value proposition that incorporates a plurality of dimensions to be considered. This research work analyzes the externalities of social enterprises driven by arts and culture for the territories they operate in. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach of a single case study is performed to consider multiple dimensions in the development of controlling models in the managerial field. The framework adopted is then implemented through a longitudinal analysis over the last three years. Findings The empirical evidence shows the evolution of the economic and financial performance, the social effectiveness and the institutional legitimacy of the case, explaining the role played in the reference community, even during crisis time. The predictive power of performance changes emerges as a direct link to socially responsible indexes that amplify the attractiveness of value proposition processes. Research limitations/implications The results obtained are aligned with Betzlet et al. (2021) key predictor of the success of social entrepreneurship. A wide sample with multiple social enterprises operating in the cultural and creative field needs to be considered in the future, to further advance the literature through a comparative analysis. Originality/value This paper reveals that, in the cultural and creative sector, social entrepreneurship value creation is intrinsically linked to the individual and collective identity dimension able to promote cohesion and community well-being.

The Effect of Project Based Learning in Realizing Performing Arts on Entrepreneurial Motivation in Art Learning in Vocational School Students

The competence that must be possessed by Vocational School (VS) students is to be able to find business opportunities independently. Related to the subjects of art and culture, it is hoped that VS students have the motivation that can be carried out by the presence of performing arts in the form of performances that can be used as opportunities for entrepreneurship. Thus, VS students must have entrepreneurial motivation to have business opportunities in the arts and culture sector. One of the learning strategies that can be used is to use PBL. PBL can increase students' learning motivation and also facilitate students' problem-solving abilities. This study aimed to determine how the implementation of PBL in realizing performances and the influence of PBL on entrepreneurial motivation in art learning for VS students. The research method uses an experimental research method with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Participants in this study were 37 students in one of the VS in the Indramayu district, and the study was conducted using a systematic sampling technique. The research instrument used an entrepreneurial motivation questionnaire. Data analysis techniques using statistical descriptions and Paired-Sample T-Test. This study concludes that PBL affects VS students' entrepreneurial motivation in art learning. PBL can motivate students to reflect on what they learn in an actual project and provide opportunities for students to think and be creative when realizing a project in the arts and culture. Students can understand that in the performance, various job descriptions can be used for business opportunities or jobs in arts and culture to conduct further research with more participants so that the results of this study can be more generalized.

The Impact of the Digital Transformation of Chinese Cultural Products on Marketing and Communication Strategies

In an era defined by globalization and rapid technological advancement, Chinas cultural industry is undergoing a significant transformation. This study investigates the profound effects of digital transformation on Chinas cultural industry, focusing on digital cultural innovation products such as digital art, virtual reality experiences, and online cultural creations. As globalization and technological advancements reshape cultural production, dissemination, and consumption, Chinas digital cultural sector has emerged as a significant global player. This research systematically reviews literature, industry reports, and case studies to analyze how Chinese digital cultural products are influencing marketing and communication strategies. The findings reveal that advancements in virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence are leading to the creation of immersive and diverse cultural experiences, significantly enhancing consumer engagement and market reach. The study also highlights the transformative role of digital tools in marketing, including dynamic content creation and interactive experiences, while addressing challenges such as market saturation and the need for balanced engagement strategies. Future research should incorporate quantitative and qualitative data to further explore these dynamics.

Where is democracy nestled? Reflections on organizational degeneration based on an artists’ cooperative

PurposeThis article presents a compelling case study of a workers’ cooperative in the cultural sector. It offers a unique opportunity to delve into the tensions between managerial and democratic control, particularly in the context of heightened artistic claims. The pivotal role of an accountant in management for nearly two decades sparks a thought-provoking question about the potential for cooperative degeneration.Design/methodology/approachOur research employs a rigorous qualitative method, utilizing semi-structured interviews of six key members and a comprehensive analysis of legal, accounting and other media documents.FindingsOur findings offer a significant perspective, refuting any indications of organizational degeneration. The decision-making processes continue to uphold democratic principles. While the manager and his administrative staff wield substantial authority, this is justified by their duty to preserve the collective. This duty is executed under democratic control, facilitated by information transparency. The low level of democratic participation poses a challenge, but the manager’s initiatives are aimed at addressing this. The effectiveness of this control, however, relies on the active participation of the members, which acts as a strong deterrent against organizational degeneration.Originality/valueThe originality of our contribution lies in our reference to Chester Barnard whose reflections on industrial democracy have been forgotten, reflections linked to his conception of managerial authority. We also highlight the importance of empowering individual members, which leads them to consider the consequences of their actions. As a result, the manager is not placed in a situation where he has to decide alone, as the scope of his unilateral powers is de facto delimited.

Creative Hubs and the Cultural Divide: Exploring European Creative Collaborations

Abstract The economies generated within the creative and cultural sectors are playing an increasing role in international competition between territories. Collaborations and synergies between territories can create the right conditions for the overall growth of cultural economies and make the them more attractive and better performing. Building collaborative cultural policies is challenging due to the parties’ differing attitudes, priorities, and resources. In this contribution, we have focused on the funds made available by the Framework Program of the European Commission dedicated to developing cultural and creative sectors. The analysis highlights the characteristics of a network of collaborations between partners of different cities. Our results show non-trivial features linked to the cultural-creative dimensions of cities. Findings unveil complex cultural-creative collaboration dynamics. Results show that effective collaborative policies require carefully balancing diverse attitudes. JEL classification numbers: L82, R58, Z11 Keywords: Creativity, cities network, enabling environment.

ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF CULTURAL INDUSTRIES IN AZERBAIJAN

Cultural areas are the cause of social and economic consequences as well as cultural consequences. That is why every country should pay special attention to the development of cultural areas. Thus, cultural fields are one of the industrial fields that influence economic activity by increasing the cultural level in the country. Cultural fields act as a driving force in economic development with unemployment, direct, and added value. In addition to all this, cultural fields act as one of the powerful means for implementing the country's political ideology. As previously noted, the recognition of the significance of cultural sectors is particularly crucial for newly independent nations such as Azerbaijan, which, despite only gaining independence within the past 34 years, has made substantial progress across various domains. Beyond the preservation and transmission of national and moral values to future generations, cultural sectors hold the potential to contribute to the diversification of the economy, reducing unemployment, and enhancing political influence. These considerations have motivated my research into the role and development of cultural sectors within Azerbaijan. Taking all this into account, I decided to investigate the economic aspects of cultural activities in Azerbaijan for the first time. The article contains statistical data. The conclusions reached are that cultural fields in Azerbaijan have undergone a wave of development since the country's independence, and certain developments have been observed in recent years. In addition to all this development, the development of cultural fields lags behind the international level, and various problems show their impact here.

The cultural sector and sustainable economic development innovation and the creative economy in European cities

The cultural sector and sustainable economic development innovation and the creative economy in European cities

Value Creation in Technology-Driven Ecosystems: Role of Coopetition in Industrial Networks

Coopetition, while offering significant strategic advantages, presents challenges in maintaining long-term collaboration among competitors, often due to a lack of perceived value for the participating actors. This study explores the role of technology in overcoming these challenges by applying the Service-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic) framework to investigate how technology-driven networks can enhance value co-creation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study hypothesizes that transitioning to technology-driven coopetition networks can substantially improve value co-creation. To test this hypothesis, the research critically evaluates existing theoretical approaches to coopetition, identifies gaps in understanding value creation mechanisms, and implements an experimental technology-driven coopetition network leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The research design is applied explicitly to the Portuguese ornamental stone industry, a significant economic and cultural sector. The findings confirm that technology-driven coopetition networks can enhance value co-creation and improve outputs. These results suggest that integrating technology into coopetition frameworks can provide a viable path to sustaining competitive advantages in SMEs.

Cooperation of the Lublin Triangle in the context of security threats in the region of Central and Eastern Europe

The purpose of this article is to outline the new multidimensional format of cooperation between Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. The Lublin Triangle is a trilateral regional alliance between Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine established in Lublin on 28 July 2020. The initiative relates to cooperation across the power, infrastructure, security and cultural sectors with an aim to strengthen dialogue between the states and reinforce efforts to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and support its integration into the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Some of the factors driving this new format of cooperation include the growing migrant crisis; increasing importance of the internal and external security in the EU states; Ukraine’s pursuit of EU integration, especially after the Ukraine war outbreak; and strengthening of national states within the EU. The states concerned have turned back to their legacy capital which is and has been the same regional affiliation and, thus, the geographical proximity, shared past, culture, and common interests.

Creative city: Interrogating the influence of property developers on Brisbane’s arts and culture

ABSTRACT This article scrutinizes the often forced collaboration between the arts sector and urban development. Despite prevailing narratives that cast artists’ involvement positively in urban revitalization, this global trend, integral to creative city policies for urban development, conceals complexities. Highlighting how these seemingly cooperative practices are rehearsed in global cities and replicated in peripheral cities such as Brisbane, Australia, this examination has been largely prompted by the 2020 sale of the Metro Arts building in Brisbane. The location of this multi-arts institution was an incredibly valuable asset in a city that aims to promote its creative city credentials. Moreover, despite the substantial public investment in Metro Arts’ building, its sale was misrepresented as a private matter. A close examination of this event reveals the ways property developers can be tremendously influential upon the arts and cultural sector—what, where and how art is commissioned and displayed, and ultimately, what is publicly funded.

Art for art’s sake? Artists as partners in urban regeneration

ABSTRACT Responding to the polarized view of artists either being displaced or co-opted in urban regeneration, this paper unveils a middle ground in which artists also act as partners or co-producers in these processes. We illustrate this intermediary role in property development processes with reference to a case study of the Seaport Innovation District in Boston by drawing upon a survey of resident artists and interviews with artists, planners, architects and economic development specialists. The paper makes two contributions to the literature. It offers a fresh look at the dialectical relationship between cultural and economic modes of production by more fully integrating consideration of artists’ sensibilities and practice with those of a host of built environment disciplinary practices including architects, planners and real estate developers. As a result, it extends extant analysis of urban regeneration-led gentrification from its urban planning, geography and sociology disciplinary roots into the disciplines of architecture and real estate. Our findings lead onto a research agenda centered on consideration of the intermediary roles played by creative and cultural sector actors and how creativity might be captured to positive effect, in the production of the built environment.

Mind the gap: A scoping review of skills gaps for graduates in the creative industries

This scoping review paper explores skills gaps for graduates in creative industries as identified and discussed in global industrial and education contexts. Adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) system, our review presents findings from 63 texts published from 2007 to 2023 that were located via five databases. These findings suggest that the top-ranked hard skills gaps for graduates are digital or related skills, such as those related to marketing and data analysis. The top-ranked soft skills are communication and collaboration, both of which are cited more frequently than any hard skill gap and appear key for graduate employability. Factors identified as contributing to these skills gaps include higher education offerings, industry needs and cultural policy. These contributing factors are correlated to the rise of creative industries, shifting values in cultural sectors, change in governments in western influenced cultures and digital transformation.