Acquiring cultural and creative competences through education and training

In Italy, various programs and initiatives promote the development of young people's cultural and creative skills within both formal education and non-formal learning.

The Ministry of Education and Merit ensures that students at all levels have access to culture and artistic heritage by promoting theoretical and practical activities, workshops, and creativity-focused initiatives.

The main tool for fostering creativity is the Arts Plan (Piano delle Arti), adopted every three years by decree of the President of the Council of Ministers. The plan outlines the measures and funding available to schools.

Schools incorporate courses on cultural and creative knowledge, both theoretical and practical, into their Three-Year Educational Offer Plan (Piano Triennale dell’Offerta Formativa - PTOF) across the following fields:

• Music and dance: knowledge of music, singing and dance.
• Theater and performance: the art of theater, cinema, and other forms of entertainment.
• Visual Arts: painting, sculpture, graphic arts, decorative arts, design, artistic craftsmanship, and Italian creative productions.
• Languages and creativity: knowledge of foreign languages and initiatives focused on creative writing, poetry, and other expressive forms of the Italian language as well as Italy’s regional languages and dialects.
• History and civic education: history, cultural heritage education, and creativity.

In the field of non-formal education, the Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civic Service, through the Youth Policies Fund, finances measures aimed at promoting the development of young talents and creativity. Specifically, the Agreement between the Government, the Regions, the Autonomous Provinces, and local authorities concerning the allocation of the Fund for Youth Policies for the years 2024, 2025, and 2026 establishes in Art. 2 that both the portion of the Fund allocated to nationally significant interventions and the portion allocated to the Regions, Autonomous Provinces, and the local autonomy system are intended, among other things, for the implementation of highly relevant artistic, cultural, and/or social projects aimed at enhancing youth engagement.

Specialised training for professionals in the education, culture and youth fields

According to Law 107/2015, art. 1, paragraph 124, professional development for tenured teachers is mandatory, continuous, and an integral part of the education system. Each school is responsible for defining its own educational programs.

Beyond this required training for teachers, Italy also offers a variety of specialized initiatives for professionals in the cultural and creative sectors. Here are some examples:

• The National Plan for Cinema and Images for Schools (Piano Nazionale Cinema e Immagini per la Scuola) offers training programs for teachers in state schools to keep them up to date on visual education.

• The Foundation School of Cultural Assets and Activities (Fondazione Scuola dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali) works to strengthen the skills of professionals involved in preserving and managing cultural heritage.

• The Fitzcarraldo Foundation provides training courses for cultural professionals, including teachers and social educators.

• The Building Better project includes youth organizations active in the field of arts and culture, educational institutions, and local authorities from Cyprus, Germany, Greece, and Italy. It supports youth workers, artists, and policymakers to develop innovative and creative solutions.

Providing quality access to creative environments

In Italy, alongside private sector initiatives, national policies to support and promote talent and creativity are mainly carried out by the Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civic Service, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Merit, and the Ministry of University and Research. These efforts are funded through both national and European resources.

The Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civic Service, through the National Youth Card initiative, promotes a better quality of life for younger generations, also by encouraging opportunities for participation in cultural and recreational activities (Cf. 8.4).

The Ministry of Culture, through the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity (Direzione Generale Creatività Contemporanea), promotes contemporary art internationally and supports young emerging artists through projects and awards in collaboration with Italian cultural institutions. Some key initiatives include:

• Per chi crea it is a program promoted by the Ministry of Culture and managed by SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers), which allocates 10% of private copying royalties to support young creatives and cultural promotion in visual arts, performing arts, multimedia, cinema, dance, books and reading, music, and theater.

• Italian Council it is a project launched in 2017 with the specific aim of promoting the production, awareness, and dissemination of contemporary Italian creation in the field of visual arts by funding solo exhibitions, editorial projects, and international events.

The Ministry of University and Research supports artistic education and recognizes outstanding students in the arts through the National Arts Award (Premio Nazionale delle Arti). The award is assigned to top students enrolled in institutions and programs within the Higher Education System for Art, Music, and Dance (AFAM). It celebrates excellence in visual, digital, and stage arts, performing arts, design, and musical performance and composition.