Evaluation 2007

Unit Name: Centro de Investigação em Artes e Comunicação - CIAC

Evaluation Panel (Unidade I&D visitada em: 29-02-2008)

(c) Francesco Zurlo
(r) Salvatore Zingale
(r) Paulo Belo Reyes
(r) Stefano Jacoviello
(r) Juan María Songel
(r) Sônia Salzstein Goldberg

Legend: (c) Coordinator; (r) Reviewer

. General Comments*

CIAC is an excellence centre in the field of cinema and theatre. In the two research groups, Film Studies, Visual Arts and Communication - Sources, Forms of Expression, Techniques and Theatre and Performance Studies - Sources, Forms of Expression, Techniques there are some good researchers. The results of didactics and doctoral research are precise and they contribute to the growth in the fields to which they refer. The research applied to the performing arts produces original and interesting results.

The focus on the artistic act process allows generalizing the results and the carried out experiments in a wider theoretical framework. The meeting between two academic realities (one that is mostly technical and one that is more theoretical) improve the growth of the centre and the carrying out of research lines that are original and correct from the methodological and scientific point of view. The different research lines are complementary and they realize a clear research strategy. We noticed the particular relevance of studies about the impact of technology in visual media; of historiographic research; of the thesaurus of narrative sources in the Mediterranean area; of the studies about dance.

The centre has international relations with the most important realities of this sector and it incites their researchers to have studying experiences abroad. CIAC has also relations with the most important realities in this field.

The international productivity is very good. It is recommended to insist on this aspect in order to increase the centre visibility on an international level.

The group is young a well-motivated and even if the funds are limited has a great capability to adapt.

The performances of the unit (including the international visibility) could be increased a lot by improving the facilities, the equipment and the library.

It is also recommended to promote a publishing line (also in English) in order to increase the visibility and the Institute identity.

. Specific Group Comments*

• Film Studies, Visual Arts and Communication - Sources, Forms of Expression, Techniques

• All the researchers involved in this group are extremely well-qualified professionals, and it emerges clearly not only from their CVs, but also from the brilliant PhD students pushing ahead the main trends of the researches.

  The connections of the senior members with prestigious foreign Universities and Institutions (just as example: British Film Institute; Yale University, Sorbonne, Paris; Complutense, Madrid; Università Cattolica, Milano; Montreal University, Swedish Film Institute; ecc.) give to the students the chance to strengthen their training at an international level.

  The most impressive thing coming out from the submitted form is the perfect integration of the projects, in a way that the development of each research theme is functional to the others.

  For instance, the themes like “Media Literacy” and “Innovation in New Platform” allow at the same time both the theoretical reflection and the production of artistic works. The results of these researches can be disseminated through the “Network Construction”.

  Departing from the “mainstream” massmediology, the proposal to study the reception, the appropriation and the effect of the new communication technologies by the way they are applied to Performing arts - also looking for their influence on the creative process – is very original and profitable. This particular attitude in the research will display in a brand new way the socio-cultural impact of the new technologies, looking at the way by which they concretely affect the contemporary culture, showing the transformation of knowledge about the world around us.

  On the other side, we cannot forget that all the researchers are professional artists. Thus, the theoretical achievements could be directed towards the application of the new communication technologies to the different language of expression.

  It has been very useful to meet the PhD students and talk with them in order to understand that, in spite of their mostly artistic education, they are aware of art theory, art history, philosophy, linguistics, anthropology. They are also able to argue the main issues of contemporary international academic discussion, like the problems of cinema iconography or discourse analysis, creation of cultural identity, new criticism.

  We have also appraised the commitment of professors and researchers.

  Finally they had the chance to explain in a better way the whole of their work giving us the impression of a strong coherence of aims and consistency of programs.

In order to support the research it is very important to provide the working environment and laboratories with updated technological equipment, as it is required in the form.

Moreover, it could be useful to increase the bibliographic resources and try to expand the library of the Institute, which seems to be still inadequate.

Together with the other one joining the unit, the research activity of this group promises the best impact on Portuguese socio-cultural life.

• Theatre and Performance Studies - Sources, Forms of Expression, Techniques

• The conception of applied research in performing art supported by this group is very interesting because it seems to stress the point in the best original way.

  The investigation about the connections and the possible interactions between professional and amateur acting brings the research to point out the supply which theatre can give to people’s life, watching the way by which it comes out on the stage practicing.

  The specific project of this group is a remarkable example of applied research with civil, political values and ethic aims. David Antunes and his colleagues concentrate their efforts in the suitability of performing arts work, and use it to support a critical approach to the contemporary society changes.

  The fusion of the groups coming from Algarve and Faro University led to a perfect integration of the research projects. The general strategic plan of the research justifies the presence of common projects, in order to share human resources and specific field competence, reaching also an adequate critical mass.

  During the visit we had the chance to appreciate the good leadership of David Antunes, the excellent education of the PhD students, and most of all their ability in connecting the theoretical inquiry with the practical experience as professionals.

  The outstanding personality of the researchers allows CIAC to invite masters like Lee Breuer for workshops.

  We also attended to the extended presentation of other research projects, for instance the comparative analysis of tales’ sources on behalf of a “Mediterranean Narratives Thesaurus”, following the line of a central issue among the EU researches in ‘performing arts’ field.

  We also appreciated the ability of constructing networks not only with foreign institutions, pointed out – for example - by the collaboration with CHAIA at Évora University.

We can just recommend increasing the bibliographic sources in order to extend the library, and acquire updated software.

Finally, we recommend developing a Unit’s own editorial line, in order to communicate the cultural identity of the Institute.

  Together with the other one joining the unit, the research activity of this group promises the best impact on Portuguese socio-cultural life.