Authors: Maria Aspioti

Title: Cultural clusters and sustainability

Abstract

Cultural clusters, communication and openness strategies, marketing and self-funding constitute some of the most contemporary trends in the area of Culture internationally as a reaction of cultural stakeholders to current cultural industry requisitions on the one hand and to the recession in global economy on the other. Greek cultural organizations following these trends and given the deep recession in Greek Economy are gradually lapsing fromthe traditional communication practices and management models adopting in turn contemporary strategies as those above trying to ensure their sustainability and leadership in the international cultural events. This paper discusses case studies in Greece where changes in strategic management are made and their first results show that well-structured and scientifically organized efforts towards that end are becoming hopefully a success story. It also aims to answer to questions such as: What major shift are these trends marking? Would such strategies benefit small museums the most? What is the role of digital technology and social media in this? What are the new relations evolving in this framework? Can operational development tools such as branding or audience research positively contribute to sustainability of the cultural product in the era of the Experience Economy in the 21st century?