Abstract

The article aims at very briefly drawing main trends in public competencies and functions in cultural field, with regard in particular to Italy and Europe. To do this, the article is significantly based on a research, recently carried out as teaching activity by students of VIII edition of MASP-Master in Management of Performing Arts, at SDA Bocconi School of Management of Milan in collaboration with Teatro alla Scala Academy and Piccolo Teatro. Main findings of the research highlight that public administration in the European countries surveyed are slowly moving from the traditional role of funders towards a new role of policy makers, almost everywhere, in spite of quite different gears and a mix of tools and solutions.