There is a participative turn in Cultural policy. Nevertheless, far from being coherent and generalized, it has first to deal with one of the peculiarities of Cultural Policies: the coexistence of several paradigms that induce distinct versions of participations. Secondly, it faces three major changes that affect the relationship between culture and society. Technological, societal and political trends explain the growing protagonist role of participation in today's western societies, with significant consequences in the reconfiguration of cultural behaviours and cultural institutions strategies. In order to enlighten the plural dimensions of participation and its results and consequences for cultural life we propose a model showing the distinct proactive roles of current citizens. This will then allow us to critically examine the arguments and organizational implications for the achievement of political goals, as well as its relationship with stakeholder's positions and people behaviours. This discussion will be inspired by some results of a European research-action project that aims to experiment active citizen participation in the field of performing arts.