Abstract

The measures to combat the spread of the pandemic by Covid-19, adopted in many countries, with the domestic confinement of people, the halting of activities and the closure of the places of associated life has put into serious crisis the cultural and creative sector that is characterized by the widespread presence of both small businesses and self-employed workers, often engaged part-time on multiple cultural activities. The lockdown could then lead to a serious destruction of «cultural capital». The industrialized countries intervened to avoid this serious risk (economic and social) and this article highlights the differences but also the strong similarities in the measures taken by the various countries: France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. The support measures implemented in these countries were mainly addressed to the immediate crisis needs of the sector. But crises, and this one, can represent a «turning point» that could change, as it is already changing, the way we live, communicate and work. It is therefore necessary not to separate immediate interventions to support the cultural sector with the financing of innovative projects that, as is already happening in the health field, can experiment with new forms of production and communication of culture.