A poética na iluminação em artes performativas em Portugal na atualidade

Abstract

Scientific research in the field of stage lighting is scarce both nationally and internationally. In Portugal, particularly in academic contexts, lighting design is not established as an autonomous discipline, and there is a lack of educational offerings at the higher education level. Furthermore, advanced academic research in this area is non-existent. Despite being widely recognized as an integral part of the theatrical production process, lighting design is often undervalued. An evident indication of this underestimation can be observed in the prevailing discourse of contemporary research works emphasizing the importance of the agency of light in the theatrical creation process and arguing for the significance of stage lighting. However, these researchers adopt a methodology based on the analysis of real situations and rely on self-ethnographic observation, subject to biases stemming from the interpretative subjectivity of the observer, inherent in the polysemic nature of light. We argue that the lack of recognition of lighting design as an autonomous discipline is due to the scarcity of systematically structured and scientifically grounded theoretical content that can provide solid arguments for professionals to defend their ideas and, particularly, to express themselves verbally on a subject that is inherently visual and subjective. Furthermore, we contend that in order to achieve the poetic autonomy of the lighting designer, it is imperative for them to assert themselves artistically by identifying and defining the characteristics that compose their artistic identity. In this thesis, our aim is to address these gaps by systematizing the creative process of the lighting designer, aligning it with the underlying principles of constructing a lighting design, and identifying characteristics that define the artistic identity of Lighting Designers (LDs), thereby classifying styles. The originality of our approach lies in gathering data directly from professionals, rather than adopting a self ethnographic approach. To achieve our objectives, we conducted two empirical studies. The first involved conducting focus groups with 13 LDs, while the second involved administering a self-assessment questionnaire to 10 LDs regarding one of their creations. Through primarily qualitative analysis, we developed a taxonomy of the creative process, which, in turn, led us to the underlying principles behind LDs' decision making and a classification of dramaturgical styles.

Date of Award	16 Sept 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Pedro Duarte Pestana (Supervisor) & Ricardo Megre (Co-Supervisor)