The Culture Forum is an important opportunity for reflection and discussion on the multiple dimensions of the contemporary cultural scene, now in its third edition in September 2024. The event has found a home at Mudec, one of the main exhibition venues in Milan, a city that today represents an emblematic case of how cultural growth can have positive social and cultural tourism spin-offs in terms of attraction. With an eye on the future, the Forum aimed to intercept the next challenges and opportunities and do so in a participatory way, involving citizens in the debate and connecting them with operators and experts in the field.

The three-day program alternated between moments reserved for practitioners and meetings open to the public: during the mornings, closed-door working tables allowed for direct and in-depth discussion of technical and strategic issues, while the afternoon appointments were open to the public and streamed live to allow wider participation and sharing of the ideas discussed.

The topics addressed in the panels and talks covered the urgencies and challenges of our time, such as the contribution of culture to well-being and social cohesion, the role of institutional policies in Milan’s cultural system, new forms of cultural participation, accessibility and inclusion in museum and library contexts, the impact of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and the role of culture in strengthening the sense of community and networks in the territory. The program involved leading figures from the arts, publishing, cultural management, communications, media, fashion, theater, and tourism, as well as institutional representatives involved in culture management.

Mudec, among the landmarks of culture in the city and a symbol of Milan’s international vocation, was the ideal setting to host reflections whose common thread was that of contemporaneity, innovation and participatory management of cultural heritage.