History
Origin
The Graduate Program in Performing Arts at the Federal University of Bahia started in the Interdisciplinary Research and Extension Group on Contemporary, Imaginary, and Theatricality (GIPE-CIT). The program was created in 1994 and coordinated by Professor Dr. Armindo Jorge de Carvalho Bião (deceased in 2013). There are researchers in Arts (emphasis on theater and dance), Communication, and Humanities. The consolidation of GIPE-CIT (granted by CNPq, through the Northeastern Graduate Project 1997/2000) supported the approval of the PPGAC transdisciplinary program by the Graduate Teaching and Research Chamber of UFBA’s Coordinating Council on January 21, 1997. The Collegiate was then established on March 21, 1997, and the didactic activities began on August 18, 1997. CAPES recommended the PPGAC Masters Course on December 4, 1997 and the Doctorate Course on September 22, 2000.
Academic background
Over these twenty years, PPGAC has promoted higher education qualification in Performing Arts. The program has expanded the prominent role of both schools - Theater and Dance - in the production of academic, artistic, and scientific knowledge. Currently, the purpose is to consolidate the internationalization process. Since its beginning, PPGAC holds agreements through cotutelle programs with the French university Paris Nanterre, with which 4 (four) such agreements have been signed. Other cotutelle agreements have been signed: one with the University Paris III Sorbonne in 2009 (France); two with the University Alma Mater Studiorum (Bologna, Italy) in 2014; and one with the National University Mayor de San Marcos (Peru) in 2015. There are continuing international agreements with the University of Manchester. In 2012-2013, PPGAC carried out a MINTER program with the Federal University of Alagoas - UFAL, certificating professors and technicians of that university. In 2015, the program was offered a proposal for an Interinstitutional Doctorate (DINTER), with the Federal University of Grande Dourados - UFGD, approved by Capes.
Most of the research projects at PPGAC promote, directly and intensively, integration with the undergraduate program. Such integration takes place in partnership with CNPq, FAPESB, and CAPES, which adopt the mandatory Internship for Social Demand scholarship holders. The growth of the Program and the expansion of vacancies also provided an increase of advisors, undergraduate researchers, scholarship students, and/or volunteers for Scientific Initiation. During the Internal and External Seminars of Research and Graduate in 2011, there were more than 48 presentations at the Scientific Initiation level, an increase of almost 100% compared to the previous year. That was the average from 2012 to 2015.
Due to an initiative of PPGAC, the Brazilian Association of Research and Graduate Studies in Performing Arts (ABRACE) was created on April 21, 1998. The association received grants from CNPq and CADCT/BA, in Salvador, Bahia, where its headquarters was until 2002. The purpose of research incentive and academic meetings was confirmed in 2013, when the GIPE-CIT Group celebrated its 20th anniversary, on December 9th and 10th with the seminar “Trails and Transit”. The seminar was coordinated by professors Sérgio Farias and Suzana Martins.
PPGAC annually organizes an internal seminar of the faculty. The seminar constitutes the space for the professors to dialogue. The purpose is to discuss specific topics that are relevant to planning and improving the quality of the activities. In 2014, the theme was the PPGAC admission process. In 2015, the focus was on journals specialized in the performing arts, journals published by the Program, and the faculty publications on PPGAC journals. In 2017, the main topic of discussion was the curriculum reform.