In southern Italy, a cultural center becomes a digital village

In the hilltop town of Conversano, Italy, a former abandoned public building has spent the past decade evolving into a cultural hub for concerts, theater, workshops, and other local gatherings.

Now, that space, known as Casa delle Arti, is entering another phase of transformation.

The effort is part of a broader idea known as the digital village: a model that aims to strengthen local communities by combining culture, entrepreneurship, and digital connectivity.

Rather than building entirely new innovation hubs, the project focuses on existing spaces, such as libraries and cultural centers, and equips them with the digital infrastructure needed to grow.

“Conversano represents a concrete example of how culture, community, and technology can create new opportunities without changing the identity of a place,” said Antonio Prota, co-founder of La Tornanza, a cultural and entrepreneurial project aimed at returning people to marginalized areas as a lever for sustainable development.

A cultural space at the center of the community

Casa delle Arti was established in 2009 after the restoration of a neglected public property. Today, the site includes a literary bookstore, workshop areas, multifunctional rooms, and a live club that hosts concerts, theater productions, and artistic events.

Operated by the Artimedia social cooperative, the venue has become a focal point for cultural life in Conversano and the surrounding region.

But as its activities expanded to include live performances, outdoor festivals, and streaming events, the limitations of its network infrastructure became increasingly apparent.

Modern cultural venues increasingly depend on connectivity as much as physical space. Organizers need reliable networks to support ticketing, livestreaming, digital collaboration, audience engagement, and large numbers of simultaneous connections.

Building the Digital Village

Through a project led by Italian cultural initiative La Tornanza and supported by Huawei, the center has been upgraded with new digital infrastructure based on Wi-Fi 7 technology. The network was designed to support a range of scenarios, from crowded live events and high-quality streaming to interactive visitor experiences and hybrid events that combine in-person and remote participation.

“Casa delle Arti was created as an open space where people can meet, create, and share culture,” said Stefano Coppola, vice president of Artimedia. “Now we can offer more immersive experiences while preserving that original spirit.”

Indoor areas, including the live performance spaces and multifunctional rooms, were equipped with next-generation access points designed to support large crowds, livestreaming, and other bandwidth-intensive activities. Outdoor areas used for concerts and festivals were also upgraded to improve coverage and stability across larger open-air spaces.

The venue also installed a large smart display that allows visitors and organizers to share content, hold video meetings, and collaborate interactively using smartphones and laptops.

Fabio Romano, Huawei Italy’s Head of Industrial Ecosystem Development, said projects like Casa delle Arti show how digital infrastructure can expand the role cultural spaces play in community life.

“With technologies such as Wi-Fi 7 and collaborative systems, we can support more efficient event management and new forms of participation,” Romano said. “The goal is to help create connected, inclusive spaces that are ready for the future.”

A challenge for smaller communities

Projects like Conversano’s Digital Village reflect a wider issue confronting many smaller towns and regional communities across Europe: how to remain economically and culturally vibrant in an increasingly digital world.

Large cities often attract investment, talent, and technology infrastructure first, while smaller communities risk losing younger generations and creative industries.

La Tornanza’s approach attempts to reverse that dynamic by using digital connectivity to strengthen existing local ecosystems rather than replace them.

Thanks also to a new fiber connection the upgraded infrastructure at Casa delle Arti now supports high-quality streaming, more ambitious indoor and outdoor programming, and new forms of digital collaboration. Organizers also see opportunities to expand into hybrid events, digital education initiatives, and international cultural partnerships.

Digital transformation does not necessarily mean replacing local identity with technology. In Conversano, the goal is almost the opposite: using connectivity to help preserve and extend the role the venue already plays within the community.

For Casa delle Arti, becoming a connected Digital Village is less about showcasing technology than ensuring the space can continue evolving in a digital era.

A local project with global echoes

Projects like the one in Conversano are part of a broader effort to rethink how digital transformation reaches smaller communities.

Around the world, Huawei has worked with governments and local partners on “Smart Village” initiatives aimed at expanding connectivity and digital services in underserved areas. In places ranging from rural Africa to western China, those projects have explored how technologies such as wireless broadband, solar power, and digital collaboration tools can support education, healthcare, local businesses, and public services.

The challenges facing a small Italian cultural center are very different from those confronting remote rural villages. But the underlying question is similar: how can digital infrastructure help communities remain connected, economically active, and culturally vibrant?

In Conversano, the answer is taking shape through culture. Rather than building a new technology campus from scratch, the project strengthens an existing community institution — giving it the connectivity needed to support streaming, hybrid events, digital collaboration, and future cultural programs.