2nd Symposium on Animation of Public Space through the Arts: Innovation and Sustainability in Portugal in September 2011. Call for contributions (presentations, workshops).

28-30 September 2011, Centre for Social Studies (CES), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

The Centre for Social Studies (CES), University of Coimbra, Portugal, together with the Utrecht School for the Arts, Utrecht, Netherlands; the Small Cities Community-University Research Alliance at Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada; and the European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centres (ENCATC) thematic area on ‘Urban management and cultural policy of the city’ will organize a second annual symposium on Animation of Public Space through the Arts: Innovation and Sustainability.

The leading question of the 2011 symposium is how innovative artistic animation of public spaces can contribute to building more sustainable cities. Community sustainability is viewed as encompassing and intertwining environmental, cultural, social, and economic sustainability and resiliency. The forum will explore and advance arts-based approaches to sustainable city building, public engagement, and animation of public space by bringing together interdisciplinary researchers, students, and practitioners to share experiences and insights.

Among the discussion themes are:

• Animation of public space through artistic practices


• Sustainable use of public space


• Urban-nature interactions


• Community change, public engagement, and social sustainability


• Community transitions and sustainabilities


• Heritage and memory in the context of cultural sustainability


• Creativity and innovation for sustainability


• Sustainability and creative education

In the framework of the symposium there will be a special presentation and event with artists involved in Coimbra’s 1976 “Week of art in the streets” and special art commissions organized by Círculo de Artes Plásticas de Coimbra (CAPC), a Centre for Contemporary Art.

The symposium topics will be also explored in two artistic workshops (Friday, 30^th of September 2011):

1. Theatre workshop ‘Animation of Public Space through Innovative Artistic Practices’: Sustainable Lifestyles Project


2. Eco-cultural Mapping workshop ‘Artistic Approaches to Reengagement with Natural Public Spaces’

Other partners for the Symposium include:

University of Coimbra ‘Cities and Urban Cultures’ MA and PhD programmes

University of Coimbra Department of Architecture – Architecture; Design and Multimedia programmes

Círculo de Artes Plásticas de Coimbra (CAPC) – Centre for Contemporary Art, Coimbra, Portugal

O Teatrão, Coimbra, Portugal

Pier K, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands

STUT Theatre, Utrecht, The Netherlands

If you are interested in presenting at the symposium or within one of the workshops, please send us a proposal on your research, artistic project, or other initiative. Please include the following information:

• Full contact information


• Title for presentation or contribution


• Intended delivery context, i.e., at the Symposium, within one of the Workshops, or Other


• Format, if not a presentation


• Key themes addressed


• Abstract about your presentation / project (200 words)

Deadline for submissions: 15 May 2011

Proposals will be reviewed by the Organising Committee for the Symposium.

For additional information, please contact the coordinator of the event, Dr. Nancy Duxbury, Centre for Social Studies (CES), email: duxbury@ces.uc.pt