Invisible Matter
The workshops for 5th grade students, Invisible Matter, are part of a programme designed by Rebecca Mateus and are based on the exploration of natural elements and processes that are often imperceptible in everyday life, approached through the body, movement and educational games.
In the activity Soil, Invisible Cycles, soil is explored as the “skin of the Earth” and as an invisible world that sustains life. The session addresses the organic and mineral cycle, including the rock cycle, the structures and textures of soil, its horizons and erosion processes, as well as biodiversity, food webs and the cycle of organic matter. This exploration is carried out through movement and dance, supported by educational games.
In Matters of Life, invisible relationships and structures such as food webs, cells, seeds, forests and cycles are explored. The activity highlights the importance of these relationships in the organisation of life and the balance of ecosystems, also using bodily movement and didactic games to develop these concepts.
The activity Painting with Plants, led by Admila Cardoso, focuses on the exploration of natural pigments found in plants and soil. Through hands-on experimentation and playful exploration, pigments are extracted and their possibilities for drawing and painting are investigated.
Together, these workshops offer different approaches to exploring natural elements and invisible processes, combining movement-based practices, educational games and experimentation with natural materials.
Rebecca Mateus (Lisbon) is a dancer, performer, activist, biologist and ecologist with family roots in the Alcanena region. Her practice brings together science, art and education, connecting ecological approaches, feminist thought and artistic creation.
She holds a degree in Biology and a Master’s in Ecology and Environmental Management from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. She is co-founder of the environmental association Dunas Livres and has been a member of the HortaFCUL collective since 2012. She currently collaborates with the NGO upfarming on projects linking urban agriculture, mental health and community engagement.
Alongside her scientific work, she has developed a practice in circus arts, dance and performance, with a particular focus on street and club dance forms, especially house dance. She is a member of the Orchidaceae collective and has collaborated with artists including Piny, Marcelo Evelin, Diana Niepce, Lúcia Afonso and Emma Backlund. In 2023, she created ECOAR, a work selected for Gerador’s National Showcase of Emerging Creators. Her work explores the body as a site of poetic and political expression, in dialogue with ecology, transformation and forms of coexistence.
Admila Cardoso (1996, Cape Verde) is a nature enthusiast, fascinated by processes of creation and driven by an enduring curiosity to learn, experiment and develop new skills.
Her artistic practice moves across dance, theatre and circus, working as a performer, co-creator and facilitator in a variety of projects. She also develops independent initiatives centred on medicinal plants and artisanal cosmetics through Crianourish, and leads educational and artistic workshops through Creating with Nature, connecting environmental, social and cultural themes.