Active ageing for cultural services: Focus on elderly population in inland areas

In the last twenty years, the concept of local heritage has changed and expanded, with a general convergence towards the unity of natural, cultural and social dimensions (Del Gobbo & Galeotti, 2018). The current debate also confirms the shift towards people-centred approaches (Auclair & Fairclough, 2015), suggesting a focus on bottom-up processes in cultural policy and heritage governance, involving diverse stakeholders and dynamic networks for heritage management and use. This paradigm shift influences the day-to-day activities of cultural institutions and third sector actors providing access to, use and preservation of local heritage (UN, 2022; Gordon & Beilby-Orrin, 2007). This article presents the results of a pilot study conducted in the Casentino valley, a mountainous region in the centre of Tuscany with a high age index. A mixed methods approach was used to identify the active participation of the over 55s in the provision of cultural services and the benefits of active ageing through the enjoyment and use of cultural heritage. The study is original in it aims to highlight the fundamental role of the older population in ensuring access to and use of cultural heritage by tapping the potential for informal and non-formal education opportunities.