Cultural institutions facing the challenge of sustainability: from theory to practice. An introduction

In this special issue, we aim to deepen our understanding of how, and to what extent, sustainability is integrated into the strategic planning and social and sustainability reporting practices of cultural institutions. The challenges of assessing the work of cultural organizations through alternative lenses, such as social value, have long been discussed in the cultural management literature. Yet, the topic has gained renewed urgency as the cultural sector is increasingly called to take responsibility for the sustainable transition. The contributions collected here explore sustainability in the cultural field from multiple disciplinary perspectives, including management, museum studies, and geography. They draw on a range of methodological approaches, including literature reviews, theoretical overviews, conceptual and empirical analyses, and case studies.