Not only a moment to reflect on the results achieved, but also a concrete look toward the future: the day dedicated to contemporary art held at the Centro per l’arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci in Prato marked a new step forward in regional cultural policies.
During the meeting “Contemporary art: a look at the present and future perspectives”, promoted by Regione Toscana, Regional Minister for Culture Cristina Manetti announced the launch, by the summer, of a strengthened new call “Toscanaincontemporanea”, with a total budget of €500,000.
The event was attended by Centro Pecci Director Stefano Collicelli Cagol and the participants of the 2025 calls, who presented their projects, offering a comprehensive overview of the artistic practices supported across the region.
During the morning, the results of the “Toscanaincontemporanea 2025” call were also presented. With a budget of €400,000, it funded 55 projects across all 10 Tuscan provinces: 36 under Line 1, dedicated to established organizations, and 19 under Line 2, aimed at emerging realities. A total of 115 applications were received, involving more than 200 artists under 35.
Centro Pecci also presented its ongoing projects, with a focus on artist residencies and new initiatives under development, confirming its central role within the regional contemporary art system.
Significant attention was also given to future perspectives. For the 2025–2027 period, Regione Toscana is investing approximately €9 million through FSE+ 2021–2027 funds, dedicated to artist residencies and professional training programmes within the Giovanisì project. The residencies will involve 12 beneficiaries for a total of 24 programmes between 2026 and 2027, engaging 168 young artists, curators, and cultural practitioners under 36. In terms of training, 4 ATS will activate 14 extracurricular internships for young people under 31.
“This morning we are discussing the contemporary and what Regione Toscana has put in place for contemporary art,” said Cristina Manetti. “On the one hand, we have Toscana in Contemporanea, with 55 funded projects and two lines of intervention designed to support both established and emerging realities, with an investment of €400,000. On the other hand, there is a significant commitment: €9 million from the European Social Fund for the training of young artists and curators and for residencies, a measure that is proving very effective and generating positive results across the region. Precisely because this initiative is delivering strong results, we have decided to increase the investment: the new call will be launched after the summer and will be even stronger, with a budget of €500,000.”
The day at Centro Pecci thus confirmed itself as a moment of reflection and renewed momentum, highlighting a regional strategy aimed at strengthening the entire contemporary art ecosystem, with particular attention to younger generations, the quality of cultural employment, and the widespread distribution of opportunities across Tuscany.
The full recording of the event is available on Centro Pecci’s YouTube channel.