Creatività vs Patrimonio Culturale? The Winner Takes it All (Creativity vs Cultural Heritage? The Winner Takes It All)

Abstract

Purpose of the paper: The paper analyses the origins, features and effects of the shift towards creativity in cultural policy over the last twenty years, aiming atunderstanding its impact on cultural heritage and museum management. Methodology: The research verifies the findings of the literature review on this matter analysing the case of the UK as the European country where the creativitybased approach was born. After going over the scientific debate on cultural and creative industries (CCI), the beginning of creative economy and its development are pointed out. The research is based on the deep examination of scientific articles, policy documents and reports and strengthened by some in-depth interviews to a sample of museum managers in London. Results: The research results reveal that the shift towards creativity has marginalised cultural heritage in cultural policy in favour of CCI stricto sensu,determining the predominance of models that do not consider the specificity and value of local resources. Goals of social inclusion, democratization of culture and cross-fertilization between different cultural sectors too have not been fully achieved. Research limitation: This paper has the limitations of the qualitative research. A further development could encompass the widening of the field of investigation and the analysis of the results of European cultural programmes. Practical implications: The paper provides advice to policy makers and public and private cultural managers, suggesting the opportunity of a deeper exploration of alternative models based on the enhancement of place-specific resources and aimed at promoting sustainable development in the glocal context.Originality of the paper: In the context of an increasing enthusiasm towards creative-driven approaches the research highlights some limits of the prevailing models.