CEIS20 – A study on “Ecological and sustainable practices in the performing arts in Portugal”

CEIS20 and the Directorate-General for the Arts have signed a protocol of support for the study “Práticas ecológicas e sustentáveis nas artes performativas em Portugal” (A study on ecological and sustainable practices in the performing arts”, coordinated by researchers Fernando Matos Oliveira and Vânia Rodrigues, as part of the research line they coordinate, Modes of Production – Performing Arts in Transition / Modos de Produzir – Artes Performativas em Transição.

This study will form part of a wider research plan proposed for funding in the recent FCT call for exploratory projects, and comes at a time when the scale and impact of the environmental crisis and climate change is becoming more evident and tangible in every aspect of our society. The pace of environmental degradation, the growing threat to territories, populations, lifestyles and cultures, and the political developments of the issue – inextricably linked to social and economic development models – make the environmental challenges potentially the most demanding for the current generation.

With their diverse perspectives and positions, the arts and culture are no exception to this scenario of growing concern and involvement in a wide range of discourses and practices – including attempts to adopt more sustainable working models, eco-activist initiatives or critiques of ‘green capitalism’ and ‘greenwashing’.

It is clear, however, that the way in which the arts and culture operate is being challenged and shaped by environmental issues, making this a highly relevant area for action, debate and research. In this sense, the study “Práticas ecológicas e sustentáveis nas artes performativas em Portugal”, unprecedented in Portugal and supported by the Directorate-General for the Arts, will provide an important basis for relating artistic creation and production methods to the growing demands for fair and socially and environmentally sustainable practices, and for guiding the course of public policies in this field.

The conclusions and recommendations of the study will be published in the first quarter of 2023.

Read more about this project .

To contact the team responsible for the study, send an e-mail to modesofproduction@uc.pt

Modes of Production – Performing Arts in Transition / Modos de Produzir - Artes Performativas em Transição is a research and development project that combines artistic studies with the hybrid field of cultural management and production. Based at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra (CEIS20 | UC), the project is the result of a partnership with the Artistic Studies Course at FLUC and the Gil Vicente Academic Theatre (TAGV | UC). For more information, visit the project website.