From 14 to 18 November 2022, Pedro José Lopes da Silva from the Instituto Politécnico do Porto University in Portugal carried out his Erasmus+ teaching mobility at the Department of Creative Arts and Art Education of the Faculty of Education, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (FE CPU). Faculty of Education CPU has long been cooperating with this university in the framework of Erasmus+, so it is gratifying that the exchange programmes are implemented on both sides.

Pedro José Lopes da Silva is an invited professor and also a PhD student at the Department of Cultural and Social Studies - UTC de Estudos Culturais e Sociais, at the School of Education - Escola Superior de Educação. Professionally, both practically and theoretically, he has been working on the production of exhibitions and various scientific, social and educational projects in the field of visual culture. His lecture entitled Artistic Contemporary Practices in the Southern Europe: Portuguese Artistic Cultural Production, held on 15 November 2022, was of interest to students of Teacher Training of Fine Arts and Art Education, as well as to the teachers of the department.

 

In his presentation, with a rich pictorial supplement, he presented the organization, management and implementation of visual culture events, with a focus on curating and creative production in the visual arts, using numerous examples of Portuguese art events, addressing issues of cultural production as part of the creative processes, presented cultural policy through examples of local events in the city of Guimarães, whose historic centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, was the European Capital of Culture in 2012, and is remembered as the cradle of the Portuguese nation.

Pedro Silva went on to talk about workshops and the design of cultural projects in Portugal, cultural funding, national and European funds supporting the development of visual culture. Many aspects of visual culture resonated in his lecture, which is always closely linked to the historical, cultural, social, economic and other conditions shaping civil society.

Pedro Silva expressed his conviction that through the adequate management and production of events and projects in the field of visual culture, it is possible to develop young people's critical and creative thinking so that they understand the importance of fundamental human rights and freedoms, as well as the meaning and importance of cultural identity, to actively participate in the creation of material as well as spiritual values, to promote innovation, inclusiveness, sustainability, as well as the mutual exchange of experiences. With his lecture, he has made a significant contribution to the internationalisation of higher education and we hope that our cooperation will continue successfully.

Text and photo: doc. PhDr. Adriana Récka, PhD., Vice-Dean for Development, Lifelong Learning and International Relations, Faculty of Education CPU in Nitra