The Cultural Welfare Ecosystem: Proximity, Collective Agency, and Social Cohesion in Bologna

This article examines the cultural welfare ecosystem of Bologna’s Santo Stefano District as part of a national research project funded under the Projects of Relevant National Interest initiative. Drawing on a qualitative and participatory action research design, the study is based on semi-structured interviews with 18 local associations, from which four domains of the district’s cultural ecosystem emerge: cultural citizenship and accessibility; education and training; inequalities and social inclusion; and culture-led urban regeneration for social cohesion. Within this ecosystem, cultural welfare operates as a relational infrastructure in which artistic, educational, and community practices foster proximity, belonging, and collective agency, strengthening social cohesion and countering fragility. The article conceptualizes it as a form of second-welfare social infrastructure generating collective well-being and agency through community-embedded cultural practices.