ABSTRACT
Social centres have functioned as reference points and hubs for radical movements since their appearance in the 1970s. Here, I present them as social laboratories embodying radical alternatives to mainstream society. By focusing on case studies from the cities of Bristol and London (Great Britain), and Bari and Milan (Italy), I will highlight their radical role, analyse their relation with radical theories and practice, and identify some key issues social centres need to address to enhance their role as ‘new society within the shell of the old’.
