Mediatized Theatrical Communities: Studying and Fostering Audience Participation Through WhatsApp
13th Midterm Conference of the European Sociological Association (ESA) Research Network Sociology of the Arts
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Date:
08 SEPTEMBER-09 SEPTEMBER 2025from 10:00 to 17:30 -
Event location: Univerisitat Autònoma de Barcelona - Plaça Cívica, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spagna
The contribution presents selected results from the research project Cultural Welfare Ecosystems for Wellbeing: Mapping Semantics and Practices, Co-designing Tools, and Raising Awareness, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) and by NextGenerationEU, and coordinated by the University of Bologna (Principal Investigator: Roberta Paltrinieri). Within this framework, the local research unit at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo, under the scientific coordination of Laura Gemini, has developed an experimental line of inquiry focused on the relationship between digital technologies and participatory artistic practices.
Specifically, the project examines the role of instant messaging platforms—such as WhatsApp—as qualitative research tools and as spaces for observation, reflection, and co-design within cultural welfare ecosystems. The analysis draws on four case studies conducted in the Marche Region.
Speakers: Laura Gemini, Lorenzo Giannini, Francesca Giuliani, Chiara Spaggiari.