Purpose: If “entrepreneurship has become the engine of world economic and social development” (Audretsch, 2003, p.5), culture is becoming more and more a specific context in which is possible to invest and create new opportunities of labor and value. The principal aim of the paper is to understand how it’s possible for a cultural organization to influence the environment and local development. So, the work wants to highlight – through the analysis of an empirical case of success in Catanzaro’s district – what might be the indicators that demonstrate the virtuous relationships among cultural organization and social and economic context. Design/methodology/approach: We propose an exploratory research approach divided in two main step: the first – on the desk – is finalyzed to understand the Cultural System in Italy, through specific laws and regulations; the second – on the job – is aimed to study and grasp the key factors of a cultural organization, as well as to define and highlight the entrepreneurial characteristics of managers. In order to collect these informations a semi-structured interview was conducted with the managing director of a specific cultural organization belonging Art, Culture and Entertainment Sector, located in Catanzaro’s district (Italy). Originality/value: This methodology aims to highlight the factors able to determin the business success that became from a simple passion an innovative organization focused on local development. The preliminary results, obtained by a single-case study, provide useful information to understand the key characteristics, behavior, performance of companies in the field of art culture and entertainment. But this wealth of information suggests and encourages further reflection on certain aspects or phenomena that may be more attractive in place in the Italian and European panorama. Practical implications: The paper aims to contribute both theoretically and practically on the topic of cultural entrepreneurship. The results of this research can be utilized for further reflections which can later develop a refined frame work with high practical relevance.
