Understanding participatory cultural initiatives: mapping value creation, outcome, impact and legitimacy

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate Participatory Cultural Initiatives (PCIs) and their impact on communities, cities, and regions. PCIs create material and immaterial outcomes through two crucial inputs: human creativity and human intellectual activity. The notion of impact exceeds the notion of outcome insofar, as it includes subjective feelings and joint intuitions. In particular, a participatory approach to cultural and creative initiatives entails civic engagement and strong support for creating and sharing cultural projects, highlighting the subjective relevance of individual contributions and strengthening the feeling of being socially connected among each other. Hence, we address the following research questions: how do PCIs impact individuals and society and what elements help us to achieve a deeper understanding of these new phenomena. Finally, we address the benefits expected and perceived by the different engaged stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a sound literature review in the field of PCIs, we propose an inductive approach by conducting a multiple case study. Through a purposeful sampling technique, we selected the following four international initiatives: the MuseumsQuartier of Vienna, Matera as a European Capital of Culture, Big City Life in Tor Marancia (a street art district in Rome) and, Rome City of Film (within the UNESCO network of creatives cities). We selected primary data through personal semi-structured interviews with the key stakeholders of each initiative, as well as secondary data through the analysis of relevant documents, press releases, websites, social media, etc. concerning the initiatives. Originality/value – The participatory approach in culture and creative initiatives is gaining momentum in our society. Notwithstanding a prolific body of knowledge on cultural initiatives, we need more insights on how they can contribute to creating value for individuals and society. We propose a comprehensive framework to analyse these new phenomena, highlighting their impact on different stakeholders.