Cultural Activities: Which Challenge for Economics?

More than twenty years ago economic references on cultural activities were often rooted in the welfare economics; the correction of market failures to generalize accessibility to cultural goods; and the tutelary role of public policies. Moreover many cities and countries expected that live arts as well as cultural industries would create added values and jobs. But these expectancies have not always been realized and new interrogations are coming. Now cultural economics start from the importance taken by globalization and the digitization of cultural goods and the contrast between global cultural flows and local cultural flows. At a global level, major operators (Netflix, Spotify, Amazon) are experiencing exceptional growth in the circulation and virtual distribution of their cultural products, not without increasing endebtment. At the local level, talents and initiatives enrich the lives of communities and territories by creating and developing experiences that are sources of many values, while their growth does not face difficulties and is subject to short life cycles. How can these two types of flows mutually enrich each other instead of being in conflict?