Culture is a vital force in the Italian economy — it drives growth and even has a multiplier effect. So says Io sono cultura, the new report by Fondazione Symbola produced with Unioncamere. Here are the numbers.
Prejudices die hard — very hard. One example is the belief that culture doesn't pay. "You can't eat culture," as the saying goes. Well, that's simply not true. Not at all.
Proof comes from the latest Symbola report, Io sono cultura – l'Italia della qualità e della bellezza sfida la crisi, produced by Fondazione Symbola and Unioncamere with the collaboration and support of the Culture Department of the Regione Marche and Sida Group.
'Io sono cultura' is a report that has been produced since 2011 to monitor the Italian cultural production system — that is, the totality of all activities (businesses, public bodies and non-profits) that are either "cultura core", meaning directly engaged in the world of culture (museums, cultural heritage, galleries, festivals, literature, cinema, music, theatre and the performing arts), or "creative driven", meaning that they draw vital sustenance from culture, such as made in Italy or the restaurant sector. It is the only study that annually quantifies the weight of culture and creativity in the national economy.
According to the report, culture and creativity are driving forces in advanced economies. It is for this reason that culture and education rank 11th in the Juncker programme to revive the economy of our continent.
The data speak very clearly: the cultural production system accounts for 6.1 per cent of our national wealth, equivalent to 89.7 billion euros. And there's more. Culture also has a multiplier effect of 1.8. That is: for every euro produced by the cultural industries, 1.8 euros are "activated" in other sectors, amounting to 160.1 billion. This brings the total to 249.8 billion euros generated by the entire cultural supply chain, representing 17 per cent of national added value. Those employed in culture number 1.5 million, or 6.1 per cent of Italian workers.
If we compare the latest report (with 2015 data) with that of five years ago, we find growth in the supply chain of 0.6 per cent in terms of added value and 0.2 per cent in employment. Does that sound modest? Compared with the rest of the economy it is a great deal, given that overall the figures show -0.1 per cent in added value and -1.5 per cent in employment.
The cultural industries (such as media, film, video games, music, books and publishing) generate 33 billion in added value, the creative industries (such as architecture, communications and design) 12.7 billion, performing arts and visual arts (performances, conferences and trade fairs) 7 billion, and the conservation and protection of the historical and artistic heritage produces 3 billion. Creative driven activities generate 34 billion euros in added value.
The sector that recorded the best performances is design (with +10.8 per cent in added value and +13.8 per cent in employment), but creative driven productions, video games and music are also growing. Tourism is doing extremely well: 37.5 per cent of national tourist spending is "activated" by culture. The most promising alliance is the one that sees culture joining forces with the world of food and wine, for a cuisine increasingly tied to local traditions.
Among cities, Milan ranks first in Italy for the incidence of added value and employment in the Spcc (Sistema produttivo culturale e creativo); followed by Rome, Turin, Siena, Arezzo, Florence, Modena, Ancona, Bologna and Trieste. Among the regions, Lazio leads in terms of added value produced, followed by Lombardy, Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta and Marche. Among the macro-areas, the one producing the greatest total added value in the local economy is the Centre (7.5 per cent), followed by the North-West (7.1) and the North-East (5.8). The South accounts for only 4.3 per cent.
From communications to craft 4.0, from public involvement in the conception and development of products to the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage: according to the report, digital confirms itself as a winning strategy, always. Also noteworthy are the observations on the Art bonus — the tax credit introduced in 2014 to incentivise investment in culture — not only for the 62 million euros raised so far thanks to 2,728 patrons who have chosen to invest, but above all for the rediscovery of the role of cultural heritage by society, with citizens devoting ever more energy as well as money to it. Public-private partnerships for the promotion of culture are on the rise.
In short, culture is good for the economy and the economy is good for cultural heritage. It is a fact — one simply has to believe it.