Strategic and Genetic Networking: Relational Endowment in a Local Cultural Offer

The local theatrical offer is the result of all the theatre companies which perform shows in each other’s venues. Theatre hospitality is an inherently relational phenomenon, and besides big national and international tours, it is an important part of the local cultural landscape. Aiming at contributing to the literature on network analysis applied to the inquiry on culture, the research adopts the network perspective to test hypotheses on companies’ relational behaviors and mechanisms of network formation in a local context in Italy. The analyses show that companies which get more public funding tend to host more; there is a homophily effect based on audience levels; companies tend to reciprocate hospitality relations and form clusters of close collaborations.