Un nuovo modello per l'analisi e la misurazione dell'impatto sociale del sistema culturale

On 19 November, the event “The value of the private cultural system in Italy” was held in Milan at Fondazione Bracco, marking the conclusion of the first work cycle of the Community Valore Cultura — an initiative promoted by TEHA Group together with Fondazione Biscozzi Rimbaud, Fondazione Bracco, Fondazione Elpis, Fondazione Golinelli and Fondazione Luigi Rovati — which brought together key players of the Italian cultural system to discuss the strategic role of private and public-private cultural institutions.

The meeting, moderated by Stefano Salis (Il Sole 24 Ore), featured contributions from institutional representatives and prominent foundations, including Federico Mollicone (Chair of the VII Commission “Culture, Science and Education”, Chamber of Deputies), Francesca Caruso (Regional Minister for Culture, Lombardy Region), Diana Bracco (President, Fondazione Bracco), Giovanna Forlanelli (President, Fondazione Luigi Rovati), Antonio Danieli (Vice President and General Director, Fondazione Golinelli), Francesco Spano (Director, Federculture), Roberto Pesenti (President, gres art 671) and Tiziana Frescobaldi (President, Compagnia de’ Frescobaldi).

Study contents

At the centre of the event were the presentations by Lorenzo Tavazzi (Senior Partner and Board Member, TEHA Group) and Mario Abis (Professor of Statistics and Research, IULM University of Milan, and Scientific Advisor to the Community Valore Cultura), offering a detailed and updated overview of the private cultural sector in Italy, highlighting data, trends, policy proposals, and the new model for measuring social impact.

1. Mapping the private cultural system

Private cultural institutions account for 35% of all Italian cultural organisations (1,546 out of 4,416), with particularly significant concentrations in Lombardy, Piedmont and Trentino-Alto Adige (over 40% of the regional total). These institutions welcome over 30 million visitors per year, about one third of the national total. 78% of private institutions are located outside metropolitan areas, yet they receive 54% of the sector’s visitors.

2. Development and innovation trends

Digitalisation: 45% of institutions provide at least one digital support for the visit; 29% use QR codes; 33% employ info totems. 19% have a dedicated app; 19% offer online ticketing; 65% are active on social media; and 42% provide free Wi-Fi.

Social inclusion: Growing attention is given to people with disabilities (18.5%), individuals experiencing poverty (12.5%), migrants (8.3%) and detainees (4.1%). 43% of institutions offer free admission and 54% are open more than four days per week.

Education and training: 53% organise online conferences and seminars; 46% run thematic activities for children; 42% offer educational workshops; 27% partner with schools; and 20% collaborate with universities.

3. Sector evolution and measurement of the social impact of private cultural institutions

The overview produced by the Community Valore Cultura is based on over 256,000 data points collected over the last six years, and on 27 KPIs analysing areas such as digitalisation, visitor interaction, use of spaces for social purposes, and educational activities.

The Community has also developed an innovative, original model for measuring the social impact of cultural institutions. The goal was to create a shared, replicable, and scientifically reliable tool for assessing the social impact of the cultural experience — essential today for demonstrating the value generated by cultural institutions, attracting new funding, and strengthening the reputation of local areas.

Through the development of a synthetic index — ISVS (Synthetic Index of Social Value) — derived from a dynamic statistical interpretation of field surveys conducted among visitors, it was possible to identify four fundamental dimensions of the social value produced by a cultural experience (satisfaction, expansion, personal impact, and loyalty) and four experiential clusters corresponding to different levels of “relational maturity” between visitor and cultural content — from weaker engagement to full transformation.

4. Policy proposals and future perspectives

• Adoption of a holistic approach to defining the perimeter of “Culture” and more frequent, standardised institutional surveys of both private and public cultural sectors.

• Extension of the Art Bonus to private institutions, to ensure more inclusive support for Italy’s cultural heritage.

• Introduction of socio-economic impact criteria in funding allocation, to support private organisations that generate significant transformations for their communities.

A moment for dialogue and strategic vision

The round table created a space for dialogue between public and private stakeholders, aiming to highlight the strategic role of culture as an asset for Italy’s national system and to promote new methods for analysing and measuring social impact.

For more information and to access the event materials, please visit: www.ambrosetti.eu/le-nostrecommunity/community-valore-cultura/