Last December, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development - OECD held an international conference on culture and local development, in Venice, Italy. Considered the first major OECD event examining links between culture and local growth, the conference is part of a partnership between this organisation and Fondazione di Venezia, which has resulted in the opening of a new office in Venice. In this context, two new publications on culture and local development were presented and are now available online.

OECD ICOM Guide for Cities and Museums on Culture and Local Development: Maximising the Impact

Developed in partnership with the International Council on Museums - ICOM, the Guide provides assessment frameworks for national, city and regional governments, the museum community, private foundations and other stakeholders interested in:

• New ways to measure the social and economic impact of culture and museums on local development.
• Examples of ‘what works’ in maximising the impacts and creating linkages between the cultural heritage and the local economy and social fabric.

It is available at http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/venice-2018-conference-culture/documents/OECD-ICOM-GUIDE-MUSEUMS-AND-CITIES.pdf A set of case studies from Venice, Trento, Lyon and Montreal are also available via http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/venice-2018-conference-culture/documents/

OECD Report on Culture and Local Development: Background Document

There has been a growing interest in the role played by cultural activities in local development. When major traditional industries declined or disappeared at the end of the last century, cultural tourism and creative industries have been recognised as both a heritage and a lever for future development. Central and local governments were mandated to develop infrastructures for cultural creation and heritage conservation, to widen the accessibility to cultural goods and services, and to ensure that culture reinforces the image of their territories. These objectives remain valid, but the context has evolved, influenced by several trends. Prepared as a background document for the OECD conference in Venice, the report can be found at http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/venice-2018-conference-culture/documents/Culture-and-Local-Development-Venice.pdf

Further information

For additional information about the OECD conference in Venice and its results, please visit http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/venice-2018-conference-culture/