María
Heras López

Postdoctoral research fellow at TURBA (IN3-UOC) and performing artist. María obtained her Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB) where she explored the potential of participatory theatre for the sustainability Sciences. Her research interests focus on socioecological transformations, co-creation processes, arts-based research and pedagogical innovations in the field of Sustainability, and the potentials of Art/Science hybrid experiences for transdisciplinary dialogues around sustainability issues. As a performing artist, she's trained in corporeal mime, physical theatre, and community theatre. María is particularly interested in socially-engaged arte and the integration of different aesthetics and languages. She has produced artistic pieces integrating scientific research with performing arts and developed educational projects applying arts-based methodologies to bring together different actors in collective explorations and dialogues around specific socio-ecological and scientific issues. During the last years, she has been part of several educational research European projects, such as the H2020 PERFORM: Participatory Engagement through Performing Arts (2015-2018), exploring the effects of participatory educational processes based on performing arts in students learning about and engagement in science; or A Rounder Sense of Purpose, developing teachers’ competencies frameworks in education for Sustainability. She is also a teacher at the master of Political Ecology, Degrowth and Environmental Justice (ICTA, UAB).