Local cultural districts on the digital stage
From publishing to music, digital platforms like Amazon intercept distribution and consumption patterns
Key points
Dublino, Londra, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seul. Dopo aver girato il mondo intero, l’Italia diventa un tesoro da esplorare. Di più, da giocare. Così Luca De Bellis, 33 anni, bergamasco di nascita e globetrotter di studi e professione, ritorna nella sua città natale per accendere Garipalli, fusione tra Garibaldi e palli. L’intuizione arriva in Corea, dove questa parola significa “smart”. «Ogni volta che parlavo all’estero del mio Paese era sempre la stessa storia, o meglio la stessa lista. Tutti pensano a pizza, Vespa, Colosseo. Con la mia squadra vogliamo portare l’eredità italiana nel digitale, farla scorrere nei linguaggi di oggi. Un racconto culturale, contemporaneo e interattivo». L’headquarter è a Milano con un team di sceneggiatori, designer, sviluppatori. «Ci occupiamo di creative culture. Valorizziamo i luoghi della cultura – musei, pinacoteche, gallerie – in modo aggiornato. Siamo convinti che la storia non vada solo conservata: va rigiocata. Ascoltiamo i luoghi, le perso
A format to make sense of places
A thousand kilometres away, Diego Contino, 46, born in Cupertino, in the province of Lecce, has launched a format reminiscent of a famous film, "Three men and a map". He has done this with the populariser Massimo Cannoletta and the food blogger Antonluca Iasi. A hybrid and solidarity project with one objective: to restore meaning to places. A format that tells of flavours and people: from pasticciotto to puccia, from fruttone to cotognata, the tour becomes a multimedia storytelling. "True wealth is not only in the products, but in the hands of those who make them. Every artisan is a custodian of memory. Culture, if it remains closed in conferences or festivals, is extinguished. It must return to the streets, in shops, bars and even social feeds," says Contino.
Multiplier effect
It is the new generation of cultural districts accelerated by digital for a market worth 104.3 billion euro with 284 thousand enterprises and 1.55 million employees, according to the Symbola Foundation. Cultural workshops enjoy a multiplier effect because they go everywhere. The momentum embraces all content creation - from sector publishing to audio entertainment - and intercepts distribution and consumption models.
From music to publishing
This is also the subject of From local stories to global stages, research on the international impact of Amazon's creative and cultural industry presented as a preview in Il Sole24Ore. The paper photographs the contribution in the main European markets and reveals the role of the Seattle giant on the Italian creative economy: over 400 partnerships with record labels and more than 60 original titles. "We are enabling creators to reach a global audience. With Kindle Direct Publishing thousands of Italian authors can publish directly for readers worldwide, while our music partnerships help artists find new listeners. We are enriching local economies: the impact extends to tourism and local activities, and we are increasing access to culture, particularly in rural areas," says Yohann Bénard, Public Policy Director EU Digital and France at Amazon. Digital services are changing the way people access the
Bénard (Amazon): 'This is how we promote cultural diversity'
