In order to fully answer this question, it is useful to reflect on corporate project initiatives based on Art and Culture, bearing in mind that there may be different degrees of involvement by the corporate organisation and the degree of change intended to be generated by acting on human resources.
There are four objectives that we have identified by studying business projects, areas that show an increasing degree of transformation and organisational effort: Building strong relationships with the territory and the community, Communication and the involvement of external stakeholders, Employee Engagement, and Process and Product Innovation. It is important to note that, although building strong relationships with the territory and communicating with external stakeholders are not identical issues, both are considered priorities. This consideration leads us to note the extent to which companies do not just focus on product quality but aspire to create an emotional and participatory involvement with their target audience, manifesting a deep connection with the territory and temporal context in which they operate.
Art and Culture foster learning and stimulate creative thinking through five modes, emerging from the quantitative field research conducted on Italian companies: stimulating creativity, as interacting with Art and Culture allows the development of both lateral thinking and critical thinking; the development of social skills, which implies the ability to collaborate and communicate; the transformation of communication skills, which are expressed through ideas and emotions; the promotion of emotional wellbeing, creating a positive work environment and giving meaning to the work of the company, regardless of the role held. Therefore, Art and Culture can be considered true strategic tools for research and development.
Across all the objectives that companies have set themselves, entrepreneurs have always identified a common denominator: ‘there is no corporate objective without an objective for the territory and the community‘, describing this approach as a win-win practice.
If, on the one hand, through Art and Culture-based projects, the company focuses on the stimulus of growth that can be generated by something new, on the other hand, the territory and community benefit concretely from the valorisation and preservation of cultural heritage, as well as from the promotion of the enjoyment and accessibility of artistic and cultural works, also have a social equity objective, thanks to the possibility of making them available to an ever wider public.
