L’Animazione Sociale e Culturale in Italia - Evoluzioni e sfide attuali nel contesto della Pedagogia sociale

This article aims to present the state of play on social and cultural animation in Italy in the new context following the COVID-19 pandemic, analysing the reflections of the movement's national reference associations and from the main European research on the subject. Animation represents a significant practice in working with groups and territorial communities, with roots linked to the movements of popular education, youth pastoral and social theatre; it was born from the social and political movements of the 1960s, when it aimed to promote the growth of individuals, groups and communities through cultural, aggregative and participative activities. Over time, these initiatives have been affected by ongoing social changes, changing at least in part their transformative scope. The crises following the COVID-19 pandemic and wars have accentuated the importance of animation, highlighting the need for interventions that foster the psychological and social wellbeing of communities, starting with the new generations, including training in the development of new skills.