Conference Program

The contribution moves from the idea of a Republic “founded on culture,” interpreting Articles 3, 9, and 33 of the Italian Constitution. While Article 9 entrusts the Republic with the promotion of culture, Article 3 clarifies its substantive dimension by committing public institutions to remove the obstacles that limit full participation in social and cultural life; Article 33, finally, safeguards the freedom of art and teaching, opening a space of pedagogical autonomy within which artistic practices may assume a public and democratic function (Zagrebelsky 2014).

Within this framework, music is understood not merely as a disciplinary subject, but as a situated cultural practice capable of generating relationships, constructing shared meanings, and making visible the relational dimension of citizenship. Through the experience of the association Armonicà (Trentino), the paper analyzes collective singing as a device of inclusion and co-construction of enduring values (Freire 1970).

The programmes developed – addressed to participants aged 7 to 80, including people with disabilities – integrate vocal technique, bodily awareness, theatrical expression, and choral work, configuring the group as a community of practice: a place where equality is not assumed but constructed through mutual listening, cooperative discipline, the valorization of differences, and shared responsibility for a common work.

These practices have been implemented not only within the associative context but also in institutional music education settings, particularly at the music school of Riva del Garda, where educational autonomy has made it possible to experiment with inclusive and interdisciplinary pathways. The case presented aims to contribute to the debate on the tensions between the democratic promise of music education and processes of standardization, proposing music as an educational common good and as a cultural infrastructure of active citizenship.