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7.0 Intro

For many years, cultural mediation existed as an informal field of work but not as a defined occupational field. Around two decades ago, this situation began to change: universities launched programmes to train cultural mediators, associations were established in the various domains, new funding opportunities began to appear. A trend towards institutionalization has accompanied this evolution. People working in the area now see it as an occupational field, with profiles which, though heterogeneous, have been defined, with working conditions which can be described and which is associated with certain rights and requirements, as well as specific sets of issues. Network-building activities among cultural mediation professionals are intensifying at both national and international levels. The issues specific to the occupation and the identification of a professional discourse are giving rise to increased research activities. Cultural mediation, then, is also evolving as a scholarly discipline at the universities.

This chapter provides an overview of the various people and organizations involved in shaping the field of cultural mediation work.