Abstract

A land of saints, poets and seafarers, Italy is known also for its cultural sparkle. The institutional and official initiatives are complemented by dozens of independent small and medium cultural organizations, spread all over the territory. This dynamic network promotes, in a phase of strong economic downturn, the social and productive creativity through a closer cooperation with local communities, rationalising and improving resources, exploiting the potential of new technologies. The article is focused on the challenges, the future and the outlook of these independent cultural organizations, based on a wide survey launched after 2000.