Art Educator Pioneering Participatory Arts for Social Change and Eco-Citizenship
Teresa Eça, a visual artist and secondary school visual arts teacher, is a prominent figure in art education and research, currently serving as the President of APECV (Associação de Professores de Expressão e Comunicação Visual) since 2008. With a PhD from the University of Surrey-Roehampton focused on visual arts assessment, Eça coordinates the Research Group in Arts, Community and Education (GriArCE) and collaborates with the Center for Research in Arts and Communication at the University of Algarve. Her diverse research interests encompass participatory action research, art education, artivism, participatory art, transcultural projects, and eco-citizenship. Eça's contributions to the field include numerous publications, co-editing the journal Invisibilidades, and serving as President of the International Society for Education Through Art (InSEA) from 2014 to 2019. Through her multifaceted career, Eça champions innovative approaches to art education that promote social engagement, cultural exchange, and environmental awareness, positioning art as a powerful tool for community development and social change.