Palermo, October 24th, 2025 — For two days, Palermo was the epicenter of dialogue between higher education, innovation, and cultural policy. The international meeting “Extended Partnerships: From the State of the Art to Future Strategies”, hosted by the “Alessandro Scarlatti” Conservatory on October 21st–22nd, brought together representatives from the Ministry, academia, and Italian conservatories to take stock of the challenges and opportunities arising from the digital transformation of the AFAM system (Higher Education in Art, Music, and Dance).
The goal was not merely to assess progress but to chart a course forward. From the management of PNRR funds to new paradigms in arts education, from regulatory complexities to the enhancement of partnerships, the conference laid the groundwork for a shared roadmap toward the system’s future. With its network of conservatories, the Engineering Departments of the Universities of Palermo and Calabria, and its international partners, MUSIC4D once again proved to be a tangible laboratory for sustainable innovation in culture and music education. The opening session featured prominent speakers such as Dr. Francesco Pinelli from the Regional Department of Education, Prof. Laura Morgagni from the National Smart Communities Cluster, and Prof. Andrea Pace, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Palermo.
Over two intense days of debate and workshops, participants converged on a shared vision: the need to build a resilient, globally connected AFAM ecosystem — one capable of integrating artistic, digital, and managerial expertise. The discussions highlighted several priorities, including aligning curricula with international standards, removing bureaucratic barriers to mobility, and promoting shared digital platforms for institutional and creative collaboration.
The event’s international scope was underlined by numerous contributions from abroad, enriching the program with high-level academic and scientific sessions. Among the most notable were presentations by Prof. Iveri Gustaffson of Lund University (Sweden) and the ESME Lyon (France) research team, who showcased their work in digital performing arts and immersive music training. Interactive workshops played a central role — “Building Successful Partnerships” and “From Idea to Project: Developing Winning Proposals for the PNRR” — respectively moderated by Maestro Fabio Crescente, Scientific Coordinator of the MUSIC4D Project, and Prof. Matteo Roberto Cuccia, Scientific Coordinator of the conference. Experts and educators from several European institutions also contributed, including Aleksandar Pavlovic (HCW Wien), representatives from the INAR Project, and the Creative Europe Programme, attesting to the transnational dimension of the MUSIC4D network.
These valuable contributions fostered a direct exchange on governance models and sustainability strategies already in place across Europe, offering concrete insights for evolving partnerships and shaping an international AFAM HUB — envisioned as a shared platform for exchange, research, and experimentation. This infrastructure aims to expand global visibility, attract talent, and support the growth of a knowledge-based cultural economy. During the workshops and thematic panels, a key principle was reiterated: technology must be a means, not an end — a tool for creating virtual environments designed for e-learning and collaborative artistic creation. The concept “Space becomes sound, sound becomes space” emerged as a fitting expression of immersive performance, where the audience becomes an integral part of the experience and the artist can expand their creativity within an engaging and interactive dimension.
“The Palermo meeting represented a crucial milestone to consolidate results and outline future prospects for the AFAM system – emphasized Maestro Mauro Visconti, Director of the “A. Scarlatti” Conservatory of Palermo -. The PNRR has introduced a new paradigm in conservatory governance, fostering an integrated vision of artistic design and technological innovation. Through its extended partnership with universities, MUSIC4D confirms itself once again as a model of cooperation and applied research. The Scarlatti Conservatory will continue to strengthen this network even beyond the project’s duration”.
The aim, as several discussions underscored, is not to replace art with technology, but to extend it. The main objective is to make the MUSIC4D model both replicable and sustainable — transforming it into an operational framework for future cultural and educational programming. Supported by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR), MUSIC4D has demonstrated that it is possible to transcend territorial boundaries and build a network capable of speaking a common language.
From Sicily to Sardinia and across Europe, the conference mapped out a cooperative system that extends beyond the project itself, strengthening a lasting dialogue among conservatories, universities, and enterprises. This alliance marks a decisive step in the internationalization of AFAM as an open platform for research, experimentation, and the exchange of best practices. In this perspective, digital transformation emerges as a collective responsibility involving all stakeholders — a shared commitment to combine vision, ethics, and innovation in building a new knowledge ecosystem.
