Abstract

New professional skills (centred on the strategic use of cultural resources for local and regional development) are likely to emerge in Europe over the next decade, due to a range of factors including the «cultural turn» in different academic disciplines, the widening of the concept of «sustainable development» and the need to respond to crises of creativity and effectiveness in traditional social, economic and environmental policy-making. After a brief discussion of some of the principles shared by the new professions, the paper focuses on the specific aims and objectives, styles of operation and challenges of six specializations: a) the «cultural planner»; b) the «cartographer» of local cultural resources; c) the «culture and social action/social policy» specialist; d) the specialist in providing support to businesses operating in the creative industries sector; e) the «culture and place promotion» specialist; f) the specialist in the evaluation of the role and impact of cultural policies and projects.