Professional competences in the field of cultural sustainability. A case study in the Florence Region.

Abstract

The paper describes a functional theoretical framework for interpreting the competences of cultural practitioners in the context of sustainability and the new challenges related to the well-being and health of individuals and communities. The theoretical hypotheses presented are in dialogue with the first results of a research developed in the context of a training project with some cultural professionals of the thematic museum network "Museums for All" in Florence, which promoted the involvement of children and families in the co-creation of an educational offer. The research training carried out stimulated processes of self-assessment and reflexivity that improved cultural practises and pedagogical effectiveness. The research findings emphasise both the need to pay more attention to the cultural sustainability skills of cultural practitioners in order to pursue goals of well-being and social change through culture, and the need for greater debate on this still underdeveloped topic.