DOCTUS Workshop Series: Theory Meets Creative Practice
The DOCTUS workshop series are an initiative designed to equip PhD candidates with transferable skills for applying theory to cultural texts (films, TV series, etc.) while learning from film professionals and artistic researchers.
The first workshop takes place at Tallinn University, Estonia, on March 26–27, 2025, with future sessions in Bratislava (May) and Sofia (June). This two-day event focuses on nostalgia and migration, but all topics are welcome—the key goal is networking and combining theory with practice.
What to Expect
✅ Talks, workshops, and film screenings
✅ Study visits and networking events
✅ A platform to refine your PhD project
This series also supports applications for the Novus artistic grant and the 2026 ARE – Artistic Research Exhibition.
Who Can Apply?
PhD candidates from Lusófona University, IADT, LUCA, Tallinn University, LMTA, NATFA, VŠMU, VIA University College, and beyond. Research master’s students are also encouraged to apply.
📍 Where? Tallinn University, Estonia
📅 When? 26–27 March 2025
📌 Deadline: 21 February 2025 | Results by: 25 February
📩 Contact:
Don't miss this chance to develop your expertise and connect with fellow researchers!
Elsinore welcomes NewsArcade's Youth Forum on Defining News Values
As part of the NewsArcade@Classroom project, CICANT will take part in the Youth Forum on Defining News Values, happening on 13 June 2025 in Elsinore, Denmark.
This international forum brings together 100 young people (aged 18–25) from across Europe to collaboratively define what makes news meaningful for younger audiences today. Through dynamic workshops and interactive sessions, participants will help shape the news values that will inform innovative media literacy tools and educational formats.
While registration is now closed, this initiative marks a key milestone in the NewsArcade@Classroom project’s mission to engage youth in reimagining the role of news in democratic societies.
Take a look at last year’s edition.
Stay tuned for updates and outcomes from the forum!
FEMglocal marks International Women's Day with two key events
On March 8, International Women's Day, the FEMglocal research project participated in two significant events that highlighted women's voices and historical presence.
In Lisbon, FEMglocal took part in "Deixa Ela Falar" ("Let Her Speak"), a feminist gathering at the Alcântara Library – José Dias Coelho. The event brought together activists, scholars, and artists for discussions on Simone de Beauvoir's legacy, the future of feminism, and the need for continued advocacy. FEMglocal researcher Camila Lamartine was a key speaker in the first panel, alongside Stephany Lins, with moderation by Tati Pasquali. Drawing on her expertise in Portuguese feminisms and feminist communication, Camila offered insights that emphasized the importance of critical thinking in feminist discourse.
Simultaneously in Braga, the Municipal Archive hosted "Onde (Não) Estavam Elas?" ("Where (Weren't) They?"), examining women's visibility in the city's historical photographic records. FEMglocal researcher Vanessa Ribeiro Rodrigues moderated the discussion, which featured Principal Investigator Carla Cerqueira, historian Ana Macedo, and multidisciplinary artist Inês Lapa. The conversation explored women's roles in public and private spheres and how the Carnation Revolution affected their representation in historical memory.
Both events reinforced that feminist movements remain vital for social transformation and highlighted the ongoing work to recover and examine women's historical presence.
FEMglocal - Glocal feminist movements: interactions and contradictions is funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through national funds (PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021).
FEMglocal Partners with Porto Femme in 2025 Edition Focused on Invisibilities
This year, the FEMglocal research project was once again pleased to take part in the Porto Femme – International Film Festival, held from April 7 to 13. The 2025 edition focused on the theme “Invisibilities”, placing questions of representation, marginalization, and visibility at the center of the program.
FEMglocal’s Final Conference was included in the festival’s official program, but the project's presence extended further across several key moments.
On April 10, FEMglocal researchers Camila Lamartine and Inês Rua participated in the talk “Sapphic Feminisms” at High Life – Bar Batalha. The conversation focused on lesbian feminisms and the importance of making these narratives visible and recognized.
On April 11, Ana Sofia Pereira, postdoctoral researcher with FEMglocal, moderated the session “Visibilities in Film Festivals”, fostering critical discussion around representation and inclusion in the film industry.
Ana Sofia also contributed to the moderation of post-screening discussions on April 11 and 12, engaging with filmmakers, producers, actors and other creative professionals following National and International Competition sessions.
Finally, the Women’s Struggles and Rights Award, a key distinction of the festival, featured FEMglocal’s principal investigator Carla Cerqueira and Ana Sofia Pereira on the jury, further reinforcing the project’s commitment to promoting women’s rights, namely through cinema.
FEMglocal - Glocal feminist movements: interactions and contradictions is a research project funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through national funds (PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021 / DOI 10.54499/PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021).
FEMglocal project premieres feminist documentary in Lisbon
The documentary Feminismos: A Liberdade de Ser, directed by Ana Sofia Pereira and Vanessa Ribeiro Rodrigues, will premiere on June 26, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Cinema Fernando Lopes, Lusófona University, in Lisbon. The screening is free of charge, subject to room capacity, and will include a Q&A session with the directors.
Produced within the research project FEMglocal – Glocal Feminist Movements: Interactions and Contradictions, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and hosted by CICANT, the film explores the evolution of feminist movements in Portugal. Framed around the organisation and mobilisation for International Women’s Day (March 8), it highlights 28 intergenerational testimonies from activists, researchers, public figures, and anonymous voices.
With a runtime of 1 hour and 17 minutes, the documentary presents a plural and intersectional feminist narrative, combining personal stories, footage from feminist protests, archival materials, and visual activism. According to the directors, it serves as “a gesture of listening, archiving and action”, aiming to promote feminist literacy and public dialogue on equality.
FEMglocal’s Final Conference
On April 7 and 8, the FEMglocal - Glocal feminist movements: interactions and contradictions research project, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through national funds (PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021 / DOI 10.54499/PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021), held its Final Conference at Lusófona University – Porto University Centre, marking a key milestone in the ongoing research on feminisms, media, and activism in Portugal.
The morning of April 7 opened with the presentation of key findings from the past three years, exploring the histories and herstories of Portuguese feminisms, their (in)visibility in the media, and the communication strategies used by activists, collectives, and associations. The session also featured the first (unofficial) presentation of the interactive map of feminist collectives and associations in Portugal – a digital tool designed to make feminist movements more visible and accessible.
The afternoon began with a session on “Glocal Feminisms”, featuring keynote interventions by international consultants Kaitlynn Mendes and Stefania Milan, moderated by Inês Amaral. The discussion addressed pressing global issues such as the rise of anti-feminism, hate speech, and the backlash against women’s rights in both digital and public spaces.
This was followed by a roundtable on the challenges of creating feminist documentaries that speak beyond already-aware audiences, bringing together guests Paula Cosme Pinto, Marta Calejo, Mariana Gil, and António Morais, in conversation with the directors of the FEMglocal documentary, Ana Sofia Pereira and Vanessa Rodrigues. The day concluded with the first public screening of the documentary, in an unofficial premiere.
On April 8, the conference concluded with a special guided visit to the “Invisibilidades/Invisibilities” exhibition at MIRA Gallery, curated as part of the Porto Femme – International Film Festival, and led by Manuela Matos Monteiro.
2nd-year Communication Sciences students from Lusófona University covered the event as correspondents, conducting interviews and sharing critical reflections. Their engagement echoed in a collective takeaway: “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.”
FEMglocal’s PI writes Column on gender inequalities for Magazine
In honor of International Women's Day, Carla Cerqueira, Principal Investigator of FEMglocal, published a thought-provoking column in SIM: Revista do Minho titled "Da investigação à ação: porque é importante falar das desigualdades de género e dos direitos das mulheres" ("From Research to Action: Why It's Important to Talk About Gender Inequalities and Women's Rights"). In this article, Cerqueira examines the critical role of gender equality, recognized as one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. She also highlights the alarming global setbacks in human rights, particularly women's rights, fueled by the rise of hate speech, extremism, populism, and anti-feminism.
These forces threaten to dismantle hard-won rights and reverse progress made by social movements and academic work. Cerqueira emphasizes that these challenges are not just global but also manifest within national contexts. She underscores the importance of understanding the data, staying alert, and formulating strategies for action. This is why research, especially in gender studies, is essential—it equips us to understand these setbacks, confront them, and contribute to the ongoing struggle for equality and human rights.
The full column is available for reading.l
FEMglocal - Glocal feminist movements: interactions and contradictions is a research project funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through national funds (PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021 / DOI 10.54499/PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021).
Final Cultural Game Jam held at Óbidos Hub
The fourth and final edition of the EPIC-WE Cultural Game Jam at the Óbidos Hub took place under the theme “Heritage Remixed – Rediscover the Past, Reimagine the Future”, offering young participants an opportunity to creatively engage with the local heritage of Óbidos through the development of digital games.
Organized by the project’s Portuguese partners, the event brought together 25 students from Lusófona University and 17 students from Josefa de Óbidos School at the Praça da Criatividade. Over the course of a week, participants took part in workshops, team-building exercises, and collaborative game design sessions. Their objective was to create digital games that integrated European values, while drawing inspiration from Óbidos’ medieval history, traditions, and folklore.
The outcome of this intensive creative process was the development of nine original games, reflecting a range of genres and themes—from survival horror games inspired by the legend of the Musaranhos, to fictionalized retellings of the conquest of Óbidos. The final day featured a public showcase, during which participants presented their work to an engaged audience.
The closing session included speeches by Conceição Costa, coordinator of the Óbidos Hub and researcher at CICANT, José Santos, principal of Josefa de Óbidos School, and Filipe Daniel, Mayor of Óbidos. All highlighted the importance of youth participation, cultural innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
This event marks the conclusion of the series of Cultural Game Jams promoted by the Óbidos Hub as part of the EPIC-WE project, underscoring the potential of game-based learning and co-creation in fostering civic engagement and cultural awareness among younger generations.