Who are we?
The Centre for Theatre Studies (CET) is a research unit founded in 1994 by the professor and theatre director Osório Mateus, with the aim of providing a dedicated environment for scholarly research and advanced training in the field of theatre studies.
Based at the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon (FLUL), CET brings together researchers from several higher education institutions and arts schools in Portugal, as well as doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers and theatre professionals.
Since its foundation, CET has prioritised historical and sociological research on theatre, alongside the collection, preservation and systematisation of documentary materials that support the study not only of Portuguese theatre but also of theatre produced and presented in Portugal. A distinctive feature of the Centre’s work has been its sustained commitment to digital technologies, enabling a wide range of materials essential to theatre history in Portugal to be made rapidly and openly accessible to researchers and the wider public.
Over time, CET has expanded its research interests to include discursive practices in the contemporary performing arts and the development of artistic research, strengthening its links with the artistic community and its participation in international academic networks.
The Centre publishes the journal Sinais de Cena, an international publication that combines peer-reviewed academic research with critical writing on contemporary performance and theatre publishing.
For more than two decades CET has also maintained a close connection with teaching in artistic studies at FLUL, through the participation of its researchers in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and through the supervision of research internships and research projects.
What we do?
Research at CET explores the multiple dimensions of the theatrical phenomenon, as well as performance and the visual cultures associated with theatre. This work is developed through collaborative research projects, individual doctoral and postdoctoral research, and partnerships with scholars and institutions in Portugal and abroad. The Centre regularly hosts visiting scholars whose work intersects with its research areas.
These research activities are complemented by a wide range of research-led academic and cultural initiatives, often organised in collaboration with other universities, research centres and artistic organisations. These include international conferences, colloquia, workshops, publications and public events, contributing to the development of collaborative networks and to the dissemination of research outcomes.
One of the main platforms for the dissemination and international visibility of CET’s research is the journal Sinais de Cena, published continuously since 2004. All series of the journal are currently available online in open access.
CET also maintains an active editorial programme, publishing original scholarship and critical studies on the history and theory of theatre produced in Portugal. Through these activities, the Centre contributes to strengthening the visibility and development of theatre and performance studies both nationally and internationally.
