As Malta races towards fulfilling its duties as European Capital of Culture, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou explores whether globalisation has reached even this sector and analyses the role that European institutions can play in achieving a more trans-boundary experience.

Today’s cultural landscape boasts a particular and extraordinary identity. The rapid pace of technological change, globalisation, exchange and innovation have transformed the way we understand, access, share and produce culture. This state of change is likely to be permanent, and if anything, will accelerate.

Studies show that most people tend to access local culture... They rarely enjoy works from outside their countries or, if they do, they mainly get to know Anglo-American culture

In today’s global village, culture is at our fingertips, wherever we are in the world. There is no excuse: we can all enjoy it, even with a highly hectic schedule. We can listen to chart-topping music at breakfast, read the latest translation of a successful European author at lunch, go to see an international co-production at the theatre in the evening or visit our local cinema to enjoy the latest film.

The same is true for theatre or visual art exhibitions, which travel to give us the opportunity to see them, or to which we can travel to see them in their original location.

There is also the option of accessing a wealth of cultural content right from our homes, through our computer, tablet or on digital television. The opportunities to experience all that culture has to offer are almost limitless, particularly in European cities.

Europe boasts a plethora of wonderful artistic talent, but who is this talent actually reaching in reality? Who makes up the audience that goes to see all these concerts, plays, ballets and exhibitions? Who reads all the books that are published across the EU? We are supposed to have a single market, but when it comes to culture, we are confronted with a series of fragmented markets.

Studies show that most people tend to access local or national culture, be it literature, film, theatre or music. They rarely enjoy works from outside their countries or, if they do, they mainly get to know Anglo-American culture.

While this is perfectly legitimate, it is nevertheless a missed cultural opportunity, since so many European works and the artists behind them deserve to be better known, read and heard in other countries. This is also a missed economic opportunity because there are many un-exploited revenue streams involved, which would allow artists and organisations to recoup their costs more easily.

As a community, we are also missing a social opportunity, as culture conveys meaning and creates empathy, thus enhancing intercultural dialogue.

So what can be done to help to foster the circulation of cultural works such as translated literature? How can we encourage cultural institutions in general to broaden their horizons to reach beyond their core audiences and attract more people to their concerts, exhibitions, performances? How can they engage people in a more meaningful way?

I believe it is time to put audiences, as well as artists, at the heart of culture by making audience development a priority in the Commission’s new Creative Europe programme.

A paradigm shift is taking place across Europe thanks in part to the digital shift. This is not only about technological gadgets; it is changing how people engage with the arts. Where once upon a time cultural institutions could unilaterally decide what, when and where the public could see, hear and experience culture, we now live in an age where people can and wish to engage more, want to be involved in programming and even in the creation process, while maintaining high artistic quality.

They also want to be more involved in intelligent debate about what they have experienced through social media or meetings. The potential to expose a much wider audience to culture and more complex art should be taken seriously.

Some cultural organisations have started to reflect on how to get more involved with their communities, to be relevant for their neighbourhood, and to be inspired by new talent on their doorsteps. Audience development is a two-way street, where it is important to listen and to share. An organisation that takes audience development seriously is transformed – not only externally, in the way it interacts with the community of current, potential and even non-audiences – but also internally, in its leadership, in the way it recruits and collaborates with other cultural operators or other sectors such as education, social groups, local authorities, media, etc.

There are good examples of audience development initiatives across Europe but knowledge is dispersed and this is where our new Creative Europe programme comes in.

Trans-national cooperation stimulates and accelerates learning because it gives operators a chance to explore new experiences, ideas and methods with partners in other countries, to take risks and to be creative, but also to research and evaluate the results of their work. The Commission can facilitate such exchanges and help cultural institutions to make the adjustments necessary to take advantage of the challenges of audience development.

Earlier this month, the Commission hosted a conference in Brussels entitled European Audiences: 2020 and beyond. This conference constituted an important part of this new exchange of experience.

Moreover, in September, as part of the Europe 2020 strategy for jobs and growth, the Commission presented a new strategy aimed at further developing our cultural and creative sectors.

We need to promote the right conditions to maximise their impact, competiveness and export potential, as well as to increase their spill-over effects in innovation, ICT, regional development and skills development. Audience development has an important contribution to make in this process.

I look forward to seeing greater collaboration between cultural organisations and audiences across Europe in the future; they can inspire each other to ensure that our cultural institutions are at the cutting edge of developments in the 21st century.