Creative Workshops 2015-2016

In their pilot phase, the Creative Workshops—conducted in partnership with Vencer Autismo—primarily targeted children and young people on the autism spectrum (ASD), including those with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome. The initiative spanned 10 months (September 2015 – July 2016) and comprised 68 sessions, totaling over 100 hours of contact and interaction with a group of children and young people with ASD, their families, and the surrounding community.

The training program consisted of two weekly sessions (lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes each) held at the Vencer Autismo facilities in Porto. It was led by Ana Azevedo and Inês de Carvalho—artists and instructors who have long been part of the Visões Úteis team, specializing in performance and visual/plastic arts, respectively. The instructors were also supported by Ana Vitorino, Artistic Director of Visões Úteis, who holds a degree in Psychology (Clinical Branch) from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Coimbra.

The sessions combined activities and exercises from the fields of performing and visual arts, and were designed to leverage the benefits of artistic activities in the context of the specific characteristics and needs of these trainees.

For over two decades, the collective Visões Úteis has developed an artistic body of work characterized by collaboration, the intersection of various art forms, and a strong ethical commitment intertwined with aesthetic exploration. Throughout its productions and educational activities, the collective has consistently pursued initiatives that engage with diverse communities and marginalized populations—including residents of social housing, the elderly, prison inmates, and immigrants awaiting legal status—aiming to bring different audiences together and challenge prejudices. Addressing social exclusion through artistic practice is an integral part of the collective’s identity.