The 11th European Workshop on Applied Cultural Economics (EWACE) –organised by the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Valladolid– was held in Segovia (Spain) between September 4 and 6 at the University of Valladolid’s Segovia campus. Backed by the Association for Cultural Economics International (ACEI), the conference was supported by the Vice-rectorate of the Segovia campus and by the University of Valladolid Faculty of Social Sciences, Law and Communication. The academic programme was organised by the scientific committee of EWACE, comprising four members from various European universities.
The workshop pursued a three-fold purpose: i) to contribute towards strengthening EWACE conferences; ii) to develop and disseminate applied cultural economics and to broaden current research topics; iii) to offer a chance to get to know the city and its culture –a small city with a vast artistic, monument and cultural richness. As a result, the proposed topics in the Call for Papers included amongst others: economic history of art and culture, industrial organisation of cultural products and services; labour market issues of artists; cultural participation; spillovers and externalities of firms in the cultural sector; pricing of art items, or studies on creativity.
The workshop was organised over two working days and involved a total of seven parallel sessions, thereby yielding a total of 14 sessions covering an array of topics.
Four parallel sessions were held on Thursday 5 September. The first two focused on cultural participation and well-being and on historical heritage. The first addressed topics related to the influence of cultural consumption on life satisfaction or on subjective well-being, as well as the effect of family size or family types in cultural participation. A wide range of aspects related to heritage were explored in the second one, prominent amongst which was researchers’ interest in what role and impact UNESCO declarations had on destinations.
The following two parallel sessions dealt with art collectibles and the digital music industry. The first session looked at –amongst other aspects– art auctions with very specific original applications such as comics or Murano glass. The second involved a discussion on issues such as the economy of attention in listening to music, or payment systems in music streaming platforms.
Two sessions were then held on networks and AI, algorithms and digital industries, which will be key issues in the future of cultural and creative industries. The day concluded with two sessions looking at artists’ income and art market networks. The first took a look at the past (“Does money impact creativity in the history of classical music” or “Analysis of performers and staff salaries at the London patent theatres, 1789-1809”) with the second exploring art networks in China or links between emerging art galleries –amongst other aspects.
Three parallel sessions were held on Friday 6 September. The first two focused on cultural supply, with talks on cultural landscapes or festivals, amongst others, and museums –a classical topic in cultural economics. The second addressed issues such as participatory museums, museum funding, or the link between museums and fintechs.
The following two sessions addressed, on the one hand, efficiency analysis, with studies applied to cultural institutions in Poland, museums in the United States, the creative economy in Spain and public libraries, also in Spain, adopting differing and complementary approaches and methodologies; and on the other hand, cultural policy, with case studies in Spain and Italy, amongst others. The final two sessions focused on cultural industries –with talks centred on books or the cinema, amongst other topics– and on cultural participation, and in which studies were presented related to cultural education or the role of culture on the quality of urban life.
In total, 46 papers were presented, addressing classical as well as ground-breaking topics, adopting an array of research approaches and methodologies and which sparked much debate, exchange of ideas and very valuable contributions to help both establish and further this field of study (the full programme can be seen at https://eventos.uva.es/112336/section/49660/11th-european-workshop-on-applied-cultural-economics.html).
The academic programme was complemented with a social programme which was in fact a practical extension of the work sessions; in other words, an application of the theory. A cultural visit on Wednesday 4 September was organised to the Museo de la Real Casa de la Moneda –the Royal Mint– a museum devoted to the techniques and methods used to mint coins and which is housed in a building considered to be one of the finest examples of Spanish renaissance industrial heritage. On Friday 6 September, after the closing session, a guided tour was organised to the historical city of Segovia, declared World Heritage by the UNESCO, and which offered the ideal complement to almost two days of intense work.
This international meeting saw many people, many ideas, and much debate, and brought together a total of 63 researchers from 20 different countries and three continents. It offered a space to pool knowledge and experiences, as well as an area for discussion and inspiration, and it offered a chance to reunite with old colleagues and friends as well as forge new friendships and collaborations.
About the authors
EWACE Local Committee
