Ecocriticism and Representations of the Sea in the Arts in Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal
Organization: Alyse Kaweng Fan, Thales Reis Alecrim
The sea and marine life are often considered as pillars of cultural heritage, identity, and collective memories in Portugal (Lourenço 2001; Lourenço 2014). From the historical milestones of the sixteenth century transoceanic navigation (Cortesão 1978) to literary production (Avelar 2024), the ocean has shaped the national imagination of Portugal (Tomás 2013). As Antonio Barreto writes: “Heritage is a human creation and the results from history and culture. But there are natural realities that are transformed, through history, culture, and technology into heritage. Such is the case of the sea for the Portuguese” (2019: 15). As a form of heritage, this connection extends to gastronomy and, in a particularly profound way, to the musical sphere (Simões 2013: 45–62; Sardo 2013: 44–64).
From fado, with its narratives of longing and loss, to the songs that gave rhythm to the the fishermen’s daily work, the Portuguese musical repertoire has functioned as a living archive of human interaction with the environment. However, there is nothing natural or essentialist about this Portuguese relationship with the sea, for it is an imaginary that has been constructed and continously negotiated across historical periods, which also bears the imprint of colonialism (João 2015: 119–147; El-Shawan Castelo-Branco et al 2003: 73–142). More dramatically, the transformations driven by climate change and unsustainable industrial fishing in the twenty-first century threaten not only biodiversity (Ramos-Pereira 2004: 26–43), but also the cultural practices linked to it – a topic that still requires greater attention in schoarly research.
In any case, beyond its material and economic dimensions, the sea in Portugal remains a space of imagination and transformation. As evoked in the songs of José Afonso, the sea is not just a site of identity and homecoming, but also a place of alterity and utopia. By singing of the sea, we evoke the possibility of a new era, in which culture and nature meet once again in a shared project of humanity – a vision that also resonates with the notion of the Blue Humanities (Mentz 2023; Oppermann 2019: 443–461). This call seeks to explore the intersection between what we have inherited and what we must protect. Therefore, we invite researchers, artists, and cultural practitioners to reflect on how these environmental changes reshape the meaning of the arts and their role as vehicles of identity and resistance.
Papers are welcome on the following topics, amongst others:
The sea as a cultural construct in Portuguese music and the arts;
Music, critique, and resistance to climate crises in Portugal;
Intersections between literature, music, and environmental heritage;
Representations of the sea and music in literature and written culture;
Music, sound, identity, and the politics of ocean memory;
Collective memory, local identities, and soundscapes;
The sea in film, the media, and popular culture;
Folklore, folk groups, and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage;
Coloniality and decoloniality of contemporary maritime identity;
Transcultural and postcolonial perspectives on the maritime imaginary;
Blue Humanities and music as an environmental archive;
Resistance, utopia, and sound activism in the face of climate change;
Tourism and heritage preservation of coastal musical cultures;
Technology, marine sciences, and music;
Ocean ethics, music, and maritime imaginaries;
Phenomenology, aesthetics, listening, and maritime experience.
Submission Guidelines
Proposals should be sent to the email: cecc.fch@ucp.pt, and include paper title,
A 300-word abstract in Portuguese or in English should be submitted for a 20-minute presentation, including a provisional title, a brief biographical note (max. 150 words) and contact details.
Contributions may be in Portuguese or English.
Abstract submission deadline: July 31, 2026
Notification of acceptance: September 15, 2026
After acceptance of abstracts, participants must register for the conference.
Registration Fees and Deadlines
The registration fee includes coffee breaks and conference materials.
Early bird registration (September 16–30): €75 (student) | €100 (non-student)
Regular registration (October 1–20): €100 (student) | €150 (non-student)
Keynote Speakers
Diana Gonçalves, Catholic University of Portugal
Susana Sardo, University of Aveiro
Organizers
Alyse Kaweng Fan e Thales Reis Alecrim
Scientific Committee
Ana Matoso, CECC
Ana Margarida Abrantes, CECC
Carla Ganito, CECC
Joana Moura, CECC
Mário Avelar, CECC
Nuno Amado, CECC
Patrícia Anzini, CECC
Pedro A. Mendes, INET-md
Rita Bueno Maia, CECC
Sofia Vieira Lopes, INET-md
This activity is part of the 4ELEMENTS project, representing the element Water, funded by the Transform4Europe (T4EU) alliance, in a strategic collaboration between the Catholic University of Portugal, the University of Sofia (Bulgaria) and the University of Silesia (Poland).
CECC