Children’s spontaneity and artistic expression in Margherita Zoebeli’s educational practice

In this paper, I will address both the topic of aid and assistance for children victims of war and that of children’s artistic expression and its strong emphasis in the educational initiatives promoted by Zoebeli, in line with her pedagogical principles and, in particular, her adherence to Freinet’s pedagogy. These two themes, in fact, are not separate, and I believe they are deeply intertwined in Zoebeli’s life experience. I will attempt to demonstrate this by starting with a very significant experience she had in 1938 as a young volunteer at the children’s camp in Puigcerdà, sponsored by Aide Suisse aux Enfants Espagnols.