ART FOR ADAPTATION is a six-year postdoc project, financed by the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology (SFRH/BPD/115656/2016).

During this period it will develop innovative research on the relationship between art and climate change adaptation and transformation, based on the assumption that successful adaptation occurs through processes of transformation. In other words, successful adaptation involves more than strategies and interventions to tolerate warmer temperatures, adjust to drier or wetter conditions, or manage changes in disaster risk – it is also likely to involve the transformation of larger structures and systems (e.g., energy, financial, and social-technical systems), and possibly transformations in beliefs, values and worldviews such as perceptions of human-environment relationships, understandings of causality and attitudes towards individual and collective agency to affect change.

About me

My name is Julia Bentz, I am a postdoc at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences at the University Nova of Lisbon. My background in interdisciplinary social sciences (MPhil. Development Studies, Univ. Vienna; PhD Economics, Univ. Azores, Portugal, 2015), and my personal interests have directed my research towards the interactions between social and ecological systems in a variety of research fields, contexts and areas including environmental management, climate change mitigation, adaptation and transformation. In more than 12 years of research and practice experience I have gathered insights and experience on science communication, public engagement and environmental education. As a PI of project ART FOR ADAPTATION, I have conducted research on the potential of art in education and communication about climate change and sustainability transformation and conceptualised and realised educational projects at public schools, universities, church organisations, ecofestivals and in local communities that have contributed to further research on sustainability communication, education and engagement. This research explored the educational potential of art, the co-creation of transformation processes through storytelling and the development of a sense of empowerment and agency through transdisciplinary approaches. Alongside with the applicability focus of my work I have developed strong commitment and passion for teaching. I have gained experience through teaching in different contexts, ranging from academic classes (including Masters and PhD programs) over classes in high schools to lifelong learning courses and workshop facilitation.

Contact:

Julia Bentz
jhbentz@fc.ul.pt
CICS.NOVA – Interdisciplinary Centre of
Social Sciences, University Nova of Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal

My mentors are:

Karen O’Brien; Carlos Pereira da Silva; Tiago Capela-Lourenço