In the Name of Nature

Em Nome da Natureza aims to bring arts learning into direct contact with the natural world. It is built on the idea that knowledge of environmental issues needs to be accompanied by opportunities to observe, listen to and experience the places we inhabit, recognising our relationship with other forms of life.

The educational challenge is to turn forests, mountains or beaches into places of learning, where music, movement, theatre and photography help students explore that relationship. Artistic creation becomes a way to develop sensitivity, critical thinking and engagement with sustainability, connecting learning with lived experience.

The practice aims to enable students to:

• Explore natural environments through listening, observation, movement and sensory experience.
• Develop artistic work that combines music, drama, movement, photography and other forms of expression.
• Connect artistic experience with sustainability and with the relationship between people and the natural world.
• Recognise empathy and attentiveness to others, including other forms of life, as ways of building knowledge.
• Reflect critically on the role of digital technologies in artistic creation, education and resource use.
• Document and analyse their own learning through different forms of expression and media.
• Design educational activities for children, schools and communities, adapting them to their contexts.

The practice draws on a relational approach to education: learning involves building relationships with other people, with places and with the beings that inhabit them. Nature contributes to the learning experience through its sounds, rhythms, materials and events.

This approach values an attentive and sensitive relationship with the environment, drawing on the idea of “delicate empiricism”. Observing, listening and spending time in a place are ways of getting to know it. Walking plays a central role, making room to notice the surroundings, welcome the unexpected and develop ideas through experience.

Bringing together art, science, education and technology opens up different ways of understanding the world. Music and other art forms create opportunities for imagination, expression and reflection on sustainability. Using solar-powered technologies adds an opportunity to consider the relationship between creative work, energy consumption and the availability of resources.

The initial pathway is organised around the proposed elective module Music, Education and Nature, intended for students from the second year onwards in Music Education, Basic Education, Theatre and Photography. It combines asynchronous work, face-to-face sessions and an intensive two- to three-day seminar in a natural setting.

The work unfolds through connected stages:

1. Preparation and getting to know the setting. Classes and independent work introduce the artistic experiences and educational questions to be explored. Collaboration with a partner familiar with the area and its communities, such as Binaural – Associação Cultural de Nodar, supports the preparation of the field visit.
2. Direct experience in nature. Silent walks and sensory routes invite students to observe, listen and get to know the place through their bodies and senses.
3. Artistic exploration and creation on site. Music, drama, creative writing, photography and sound exploration allow students to develop work through their encounters with the environment. These activities connect with discussions about sustainability, environmental conservation and digital literacy.
4. Documentation and development. The recordings and materials gathered support reflection and the development of musical pieces, photographic essays, audiovisual postcards, performances and educational materials.
5. Sharing and educational adaptation. Plans include public presentations of the creative work and the development of activities that can be used in schools and non-formal education settings.

A second proposed module, Music of the Natural World, will be open to students from different programmes at the School of Education and will provide opportunities to try out, adapt and consolidate the activities developed. The pathway also envisages integrating these experiences into other modules, connecting fieldwork, artistic creation and educational practice.

The planned assessment approach values individual development, reflection on experience and coherence in students’ creative work. Students take part in the assessment process through dialogue with lecturers and peers.

Assessment is guided by three dimensions:

• Participation in the assessment process: engagement in dialogue about the work developed and the student’s own learning.
• Reflection and individual progress: development of a reflective portfolio that may include notes, sketches, photographs, videos and other records that make the learning process visible.
• Educational and artistic coherence: creation of work that connects its intention, the way that intention is communicated, and the artistic and educational choices made.

Using different forms of documentation helps show how each student interprets the experience, develops ideas and gives them form. A qualitative appraisal of the learning process therefore accompanies the assessment of the creative work presented.

The practice can be adapted to different subject areas, age groups and educational settings while maintaining the connection between direct experience, creation and reflection.

An adaptation could begin with a visit to a garden, park, woodland or riverbank near the institution. The multi-day seminar could become a shorter visit followed by classroom work. It is important to allow time to get to know the place, explore forms of expression and discuss the experience.

The artistic focus can reflect the group’s characteristics and learning objectives: listening and sound creation in music; movement and improvisation in theatre; observation and composition in photography; or activities that combine these approaches. With children or in non-formal education, the duration, routes and complexity of tasks can be adjusted to support each group’s participation.

Resources can also be simplified. Voice, movement, paper, drawing and simple sound or visual recordings can provide a starting point. Specialist equipment can be introduced when it serves the learning objectives.

To connect the different stages of learning, each adaptation could include a sharing session, a reflective record and a creative piece accompanied by an explanation of the choices made. Collaboration with local associations or practitioners can help participants understand the setting and bring the work closer to local communities.

The planned resources support field experiences, artistic creation and the sharing of work:

• Recording and documentation: audio recording equipment, including ambisonic spatial recording, and tools for producing photographic, audiovisual, written and drawn records.
• Sound exploration: portable electronic devices, components for building sound-making devices and loudspeakers.
• Creation and performance: MIDI interfaces for exploring and manipulating the sound, music and audiovisual materials produced.
• Drama and sensory activities: materials such as fabric, clay, paper, mats, blindfolds and pencils.
• Publishing and sharing: a planned website and online radio service for sharing sound works, a podcast and educational materials, including e-books and tutorials.
• Technology and energy: a Raspberry Pi-based server powered by a solar panel and rechargeable battery, as part of the planned connection with the Solar Music Laboratory.

The website’s availability will depend on the energy available. This condition forms part of the educational reflection on the resources that support digital activity and the choices made when using technology.

WeNature and POLISphone are earlier works cited as background, rather than outputs already completed by this project.