INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTS MANAGEMENT 54 Introduction T he competitive environment of cultural institutions has changed dramatically in recent years. Organizations have to face a wide range of competitive offers, from leisure to cultural products, in order to capture a share of the consumer’s precious time and attention. Moreover, they have to do so with limited funds. This ierce competition forces cultural institu- tions to be creative by inding new ways to attract visitors and gain brand awareness. An example of such creativity is to form alliances and organ- ize joint actions in order to connect places of art in a way that will appeal to visitors. The Lille Metropolitan Art Programme (Lille MAP) is a useful means by which to explore the issue of cultural network management. This is a ledgling art network in the region surrounding Lille in France, launched in 2009 and involving ive cultural institutions: four museums with an eclectic heritage (ine arts, modern and contem- porary arts, decorative arts, ceramics and textiles) and one audiovisual arts centre. Lille MAP is a creative and collaborative initiative, which, by connecting art sites, represents a way to increase the movement of visitors, tourists and local resi- dents between cultural institutions (from “major” to “minor”), attract new audiences, and improve visitor loyalty and the frequency of visits (Bagdalli, 2003; Watson, 2007). Of course, the idea that “united we stand, divided we fall” is not new. Such networks exist all around the world through “city passes” that encourage tourists to visit several attractions (e.g., London City Pass, Venice City Pass). Usually, the passes are managed by local tourist agencies, not by the cultural institutions themselves, and are not targeted locally. Lille MAP is an authentic net- work, “a set of irms united around the realization of a common project...and sharing a number of tasks in order to embody this project” (Fulconis and Pachet, 2008). It is a collaborative program of cultural events and the launch of a common brand to promote its members’ visibility as a whole (Baumgarth, 2009) while also preserving the identity of each institution. Such collabora- tive interlinking initiatives have been identiied as a critical factor in the performance of cultural institutions (Zorloni, 2012). However, improving such a network represents a real challenge. Loyal local patrons who are attached to a particular cultural institution may not see the beneit of extending their custom to other sites. Similarly, tourists are attracted by “star” museums, as they have to allocate their time among several activi- ties during their stay. An additional dilemma is geographic location: A network implies several institutions located in different places, sometimes requiring a long journey from one to another. Finally, from an institutional point of view, a major challenge is how to manage such network- ing (sponsorships, organization, joint actions) in such a way that the network is proitable for all members, both minor and major. Although the literature has reported the beneits of cultural networking in audience development, few studies explain how to meet the challenge of creating and maintaining a cultural network. Guergana Guintcheva is a professor of marketing at EDHEC Business School in Lille, France. Her research revolves around museum marketing practices and, more broadly, the marketing of leisure activities. Her future research projects include a study of the impact of contradictory emotions on moviegoers. Juliette Passebois-Ducros is a professor at IAE de Bordeaux, France, specializing in not-for-profit organizations. Her research and teaching are concentrated in the field of marketing management in the cultural sector. Her main research interest is the consumer’s relationship with arts institutions, including consumer communities in the cultural field. Lille Metropolitan Art Programme: Museum Networking in Northern France Guergana Guintcheva, Juliette Passebois-Ducros Company Profile