Letter to Myself at the End of the MSc in Management of Cultural and Artistic Activities

Dear Student,

Last year, when you were preparing to start the master’s degree in Management of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MSc Management des biens et activités culturels, also known as MaBAC), you expected to acquire skills, explore new contexts, enrich your cultural background, and find a path for your professional career. You would never have imagined this experience to profoundly transform you and the way you see the world. 

Before starting the master’s degree, you did some careful research: you knew it was a joint programme between Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and ESCP Business School in Paris, an international experience designed to prepare those who want to work in the cultural sector with solid managerial skills. You also knew its uniqueness lay in the combination of theoretical rigor and direct engagement with the professional world. You were eager to concretely understand what the much-talked-about “mixed approach” between academia and profession truly meant. You couldn’t wait to begin!

In October 2024, you discovered Venice, a wonderful city that fascinated you from the very first moment. You met your classmates and immediately realised what a great group you would become. You all shared thoughts and emotions about the city and about the bond that would unite you through the experience.

The first semester allowed you to discover the excellent courses MaBAC offers, thanks to collaborations with expert professors and the testimonies of professionals from the artistic-cultural sector, such as Sir Mark Volpe of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Madame Laura Coppola of Teatro La Fenice, and Madame Monica Paganelli of Fondation Cartier. Your eyes started shining when these professionals narrated their stories and helped you feel ready to make your dreams come true, just as they did.

Your most enriching learning experience in Venice was the consulting project done in collaboration with Venetian Cluster, a technological and cultural district of Veneto that acts as a networking platform between public and private entities. The project involved creating an innovative service capable of measuring and enhancing the economic, social, and cultural impact of initiatives promoted by cultural institutions. 

The result ended up being a mix of work with advanced data analysis tools, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge methodologies. You never imagined that such technical fields would be within your reach, and you did not believe you could contribute and complete something so ambitious! 

Presenting the project in front of the class, professors, and professionals on the last day in Venice was one of the most emotional moments of your journey. There, you truly understood what you are capable of, and you felt part of a community united by common passions. 

In February 2025, you arrived in Paris, a new world. You discovered cultural plaches and quickly adapted to a different way of living your daily life. Your French classmates were very welcoming, organising trips, dinners, and evenings to make you feel comfortable in the big metropolis. It was there that you realized that the master creates a true sense of union and belonging you had never experienced before, even in a foreign country.

In the classroom, you worked well, even with the additional challenge of having lessons in French. Professors brought their classes to life with case studies, to avoid repeating the theory already covered in Venice. Let’s be honest: the rhythm was really intense, you spent a lot of time in class, completed many projects with overlapping deadlines, and had to adapt to the working styles of your assigned team members. Still, the pressure was positive because it helped you acquire new, crucial work skills – resilience, patience, and flexibility.

Thanks to collaborations between ESCP and industry professionals, you discovered a wide variety of new cultural realities. Listening to testimonies in classrooms and cultural venues – such as Chloé Lescoules from Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Nathalie Sauvanet from BNP Paribas, and Sophie Peltier from Théà¢tre du Chà¢telet – opened your eyes to professional possibilities you had never even imagined. 

During the Master’s, there were also many days out! Do you remember the one to the Opéra Garnier? It was one of the most beautiful moments during your Parisian adventure. As soon as you entered, you saw the monument’s grandeur, its interior filled with a range of decorative styles. There are huge staircases, gigantic rooms, walls covered in gold… but the highlight was seeing the Marc Chagall painting on the theater dome. You stayed there, staring at the ceiling for half an hour. This combination of contemporary art inside a historic monument was fascinating to see. Moreover, you were lucky enough to see stage rehearsals during your visit. What an incredible opportunity!

Looking back, you realize this Master’s programme not only educated you but transformed you. You gained a strong foundation of knowledge thanks to professors, who inspired and guided you. 

It gave you a broader, complete and concrete vision of the cultural world and you refined your future career path. MaBAC not only gave you solid skills to use in your daily life, but also opened new doors to the professional world.

You felt part of a lively, international, passionate community which will stay with you forever: a group united not only by study but by shared dreams, struggles, and discoveries. You built valuable networking contacts, connecting with prominent figures in the cultural world, who gave you a complete vision of the sector. Above all, you learned to be flexible and organized, to solve problems creatively, and to work under pressure without losing motivation.

You will never forget all of this.

The MSc Management des biens et activités culturels was more than a master’s degree: it was a bridge between dream and reality, between who you were and who you are becoming.