The role of animateur developed from the French concept of "animation socio-culturelle" and first became established in the 1980s as musical outreach activities were being formalised in the UK.
[2] Because the role has roots in the United Kingdom,[3] they are most common in the English-speaking world.
If working with a symphony orchestra, for instance, they might accomplish this through running participatory workshops to introduce audience members to aspects of the music to be performed, or by facilitating dialogue between performers and audience members.
Often they are employed by an orchestra, concert hall or music education service, though some also work freelance accepting commissions from groups or organisations for a specific occasion.
Possibly the best known animateur in the United Kingdom is Gareth Malone, who for some years ran the youth and community choirs at the London Symphony Orchestra's music education center, LSO St Luke's prior to applying the same skills in a series of television programmes.